Now Kiss!
by Vestgirl
Summary: Pretending Scootaloo is captured by a Manticore, the remaining Crusaders stage an elaborate and dangerous scheme to unveil the true feelings of Applejack and Rainbow Dash. All original music, AppleDash.
1. Two Birds, Meet One Stone

A/N: Aha! A non-humanized fic? A third person fic? Yes, I am doing it! And what's this? **~ALL ORIGINAL MUSIC?! ~** You heard right. Enjoy.  
POV: Third person.

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"_Now Kiss!"_

1. Two Birds, Meet One Stone

The day was as bright as most: sunlight cascading across the roads in beams, birds singing in the distance occupying the easy breezes, the fading sounds of filly laughter rolling over the round hills and catching in what few clouds hovered in puffs overhead. The air was saturated with the scent of freshly clipped grass and the sounds of cicadas humming to the trees, which stood tall and shady holding their emerald-hue leaves still firmly on their branches. Buds were still blooming along the walkways, dust was still kicked up by travelling salesponies, and creeks were still flowing with the cool waters from mountaintops' melt. But Applebloom did not give one hoof about any of it, she was more focused on the dirt and a grudge. She dug at the grass incessantly, glaring at it the whole while. Keeping her company, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle watched their friend's odd and huffy behaviour from a somewhat safe distance.

"What's wrong, Applebloom? Why haven't you gone home yet?" Scootaloo decided to pipe up first, pushing the small wheels of her scooter through the lush grass with some difficulty.

"My sister ain't here yet," Applebloom murmured as she laid on her stomach in the foliage, her chin pressing against the dirt as she spoke. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle exchanged glances, finding the explanation no more confusing than the initial action, "Applejack's always here on time. Always."

"Maybe she got held up at the farm?" Sweetie Belle offered, but the glare of Applebloom was overwhelming evidence that such a thing must not have been the case. Sweetie Belle frowned with a pout, mimicking Applebloom's own expression nearly perfectly, "Well my sister doesn't even bother picking me up, my parents neither."

"She said she'd be here!" Applebloom groaned again, turning over onto her back and looking up at the sky with a wince, the sunlight bathing her nearly blind.

"Listen Applebloom, sometimes adults just—" Scootaloo stopped speaking suddenly, and Applebloom noticed something flash in a straight, multicoloured line above her head, "No way! Oh my gosh!"

"What in the hay are you hollerin' about Scootaloo?" Applebloom asked as she turned her head a bit to get a better look at her friend, who was not even paying attention to her any longer.

"Sorry I'm late, munchkins," Applebloom heard a strange voice that didn't belong to either of her friends. Tipping her head back further so that her bangs fell towards the ground, she noticed the sky blue coat of a familiar older pony. She landed from her flight and trotted over to the three of them casually. She flipped her rainbow coloured mane as the attention turned to her, and finished speaking only then, "Got a little carried away with a trick or two."

"I ain't waitin' on you Rainbow, where's my sister?" Applebloom asked, trying to keep the hostility from seeping out. She turned over onto her stomach again and looked dully up at the pegasus before her, expecting an explanation.

"What kind of a greeting is that?" Rainbow Dash's voice nearly broke at the height of her vocal range as she made some irritated expression. "Listen kid, Applejack had to run a delivery of apples and baked goods to a party across town, she knew she'd be back too late to grab you so she asked me to stop by instead."

Applebloom still pouted about it, upset that her sister would just not show up without telling her. At least she hadn't forgotten though, that was something, but sending somepony in her place was not much of a consolation. Not that it was Rainbow Dash's fault, and surely she would not have been half as sour if Rainbow had been on time the way her sister always was. Applebloom sighed and agreed to the conditions, pulling herself back up to her hooves. Though Rainbow Dash noticed Applebloom's odd behaviour, she wasn't about to ask about it and warrant some childish whining rant or anything. But before they turned to leave, Scootaloo took a deep breath in, and with it came an idea.

"Did Applejack tell you that we're having a Cutie Mark Crusader's meeting today? At Applebloom's?" Scootaloo intervened, inserting herself between Applebloom and Rainbow Dash. Clearly it was something she just came up with on the spot, because the other two younger fillies looked at each other questioningly.

"We are?" They both inquired incredulously, doubting that crusading was the motive.

"Yeah girls, we planned this out days ago," Scootaloo exaggerated the words and tried to gesture to them that she wanted to come along with Rainbow Dash, but they just continued to stare at her.

"We did?" The two girls questioned again, their voices raising with uncertainty.

"Must have slipped her mind. Well the more the merrier, way I see it." Rainbow Dash couldn't remember anything Applejack said about such a thing, but agreed willingly, turning back around towards Sweet Apple Acres, "Come on then."

"Right behind you, Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo practically jumped with excitement, mounting her scooter and pushing off after Rainbow Dash. The two other girls just looked at each other oddly for a moment, before making their way after.

"How did I get roped into this?" Sweetie Belle whispered dully, glancing over at Applebloom.

Applebloom's only was response was a shrug, because she really didn't mind having the girls over to her house. Applejack might have a thing or two to say if Applebloom couldn't finish up her chores, but somepony as generally good natured as Applejack couldn't mind too much. Rainbow Dash walked them the whole way back to Sweet Apple Acres, despite her desire to fly there and shave time off the distance. Just as the name prescribed, the scent that came with the farm was the scent of sweet, plump fruits. As the year would drag on, fallen apples would wane to compost and their rotting sugary fragrance would pollute the crop fields with temptation. Applebloom loved the orchard any way, something in the soil under her hooves felt like home. Scootaloo insisted that Rainbow Dash escort them to the clubhouse, and chatted her up the whole way trying to convince her to come inside. With some solid effort she made a dent in the pony's tough exterior and she agreed to stay for just a little while.

The heart-warming laughter fluttered through the thin, pulled back drapes of the clubhouse, shaking the ripening apples with jubilant cheer. The four were gathered around a short wooden table they had somehow put together from the scraps of wood left after construction of the clubhouse, of course they had Applejack's help with that, since they remembered all too well the débâcle that happened with Fluttershy's table not too long before. Clearly Rainbow Dash was a little too tall to sit comfortably at the table, but regardless she found herself hunched over with a big grin on her face. She peeked above her cards at the seemingly innocent faces of the children around her, most of their tells already clear despite their deceptively adorable eyes. Rainbow had tossed another false metal bit onto the pile, which was already stacked with useless junk and more play bits.

"Call." She stated simply, revealing her card hand on the table in one motion, spacing the cards perfectly apart. There on the table lay a perfect set of high cards, each value one more than the last, "Read it and weep girls, a straight."

"Aww," Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo groaned, folding their losing hands in front of them with a pout, "Again?"

"What can I say? Don't mess with the bull." Rainbow Dash grinned greedily, scooping up the whole pot and pulling it closer to her. She didn't so much care about the junk as much as she cared that all that bogus shrapnel represented her victory, even if it was small.

"Now hold on just one minute," Applebloom spoke up, carefully laying her own cards across the table in front of her and double checking the values. The other two girls smiled a bit as they watched her, and saw the look on Rainbow's face, "That there looks to me like a full house, now don't a full house beat a straight?"

"Darn it Applebloom! You're just like your sister, you know? She whoops my flank at poker every time." Rainbow Dash made an irritated face and sunk a bit into her seat,"For the element of honesty she sure is a sneaky liar when she needs to be."

"Now cough that pot up my way, be a good sport, will ya?" Applebloom flickered her eyelashes up and now in a sickly sweet manner, and Rainbow Dash had no other option but to push the whole pile back across the table.

"I hate losing." She muttered as she crossed her arms and let Sweetie Belle gather the cards up again and shuffle them.

"We learned not to play Applebloom at card games, she used to hustle us out of our cookies at lunch time until we got wise." Scootaloo admitted, trying her best to make Rainbow feel less embarrassed. She just rolled her eyes like she didn't care and flipped her hair a bit to act cool.

"You gotta be good to match the Apple family," Applebloom took the stack of cards Sweetie Belle clumsily shuffled and expertly mixed them through the air. The rest of the bunch just watched in awe, Rainbow Dash frowning deeper as she let a child beat her in some silly game. She felt ridiculous.

"Well lookie here," A new voice breached the confines of the Cutie Mark Crusader's clubhouse. The group looked behind Rainbow Dash at the window to the small porch, where Applejack and her trademark sultry smirk stood expectantly, "Looks like you got home safe Applebloom, and brought a few fritter tasters along with you."

"What took you so long Applejack? Here I was doing you a favour, and your little sister here's been taking me for all I'm worth!" Rainbow Dash complained, gesturing wildly with her hooves in the air all the while. Applejack stifled a laugh before managing to respond.

"You want your reward or not?" Applejack raised her eyebrow at the whining Rainbow Dash, sparking her interest.

"Yes Ma'am!" She furiously nodded and hurried out the window in a winged leap, causing Applejack to hastily pull away as to not get tackled.

"Here girls, I brought you down some treats once I heard all the gigglin' comin' from over here, thought you might be hungry and all." Applejack leaned down and picked up a small plate of treats with her mouth, placing it onto the window sill. The still warm scent of fresh baked apples held onto the window, calling them away from the table and game.

"Thank you Applejack!" The three crusaders yelled in unison, hurrying over to the plate of snacks and taking one of each of their favourites.

"Don't mention it, come on back to the farm if you need anything else." Applejack smiled at the bunch of them, but had one more warning, "I know it ain't a school night or nothin', but that don't mean you can stay out too late, got that?"

"Yes, Applejack." All of them replied with a sonorous stoic tone, including Rainbow Dash who mirrored the huffy expression of school fillies.

"Come on, you," Applejack laughed out loud and gestured for Rainbow to follow after her as she started off through the apple trees once again.

"You're leaving already, Rainbow Dash?" Scootaloo peeped up, leaning out the window and almost knocking the treats onto the porch. Luckily Sweetie Belle and Applebloom leaned forwards and caught the slipping tray, pulling it back into the room with accusing gazes.

"Yeah, see you later guys!" Rainbow called back with a grin and a wave, before taking off after Applejack in the direction of the farm. The quietude settled back in easily, the flaps of wings and steps of hooves breaking fallen twigs disappearing between the trees. Scootaloo sulked on the window sill for a moment longer, before turning to point an accusing hoof at Applebloom.

"You just had to win, didn't you?" She growled in an intimidatory voice as Applebloom lifted her head from the plate with a mouth full of something.

"What?" She murmured through her pastry obstructed teeth. Scootlatoo groaned out loud and began pacing the room, bored without Rainbow around to play with. "Why're you trottin' around like that?"

"You girls are boring, I'm going for a walk." She huffed as she pushed the door open and started down the sloped walkway, her hooves catching the grooves the way they were intended to. The other two looked at each other with wondering expressions before deciding to go after her. "We're never going to find our cutie marks sitting in the clubhouse. Come on, there's got to be something to do on the farm that we haven't tried yet."

"What makes you so sure our cutie marks will be from something we haven't tried?" Sweetie Belle voiced, hurrying after her friend and wiping her mouth, "Twilight said that it might be something we're good at or something we like to do, right? Shouldn't we go back and brainstorm before just marching out here like this?"

"Applejack says they'll show up when we're ready, and that you can't force 'em. But I'm tired of waitin', I'm with Scootaloo." Applebloom agreed, hurrying after the small-winged pegasus.

"Fine, but you can't make me go zip-lining again!" Sweetie Belle called after, her voice cracking about with the high volume. They moved through the apples trees, approaching the main part of the farm readily. Hearing the bucking of trees and the rolling of wagons, they looked over to the tree line to see Big McIntosh working away as usual, all alone. Sweetie Belle frowned a bit as they passed him, his back strained from all the weight of the apples, "It's too bad that our matchmaking didn't pan out with your brother, looks to me like he could use a reason to relax."

"Trust me, ain't nothin' in Equestria that can stop big Mac from working himself so hard, except maybe some illness or injury. Last time he got hurt my sister had to try and harvest the whole orchard all by herself." Applebloom explained as she looked around at the hills upon hills of apple-rich trees. "Somethin' tells me she ain't much better at taking breaks than he is."

"Well then where is she?" Scootaloo asked suspiciously, looking around.

"The cellar door is open, she's probably down there takin' care of the cider." Applebloom imagined as the group walked past the garden, "Any who, first thing we need to try and think up somethin' to do, and second we gotta think up some crusadin' idea!"

"Hide!" Scootaloo shoved the other two into the barn and concealed herself. She peeked out once, and noticing the confused looks from her friends she continued, "It's Rainbow Dash, we don't want her to think we followed her or something."

"Did we?" Applebloom raised an eyebrow questioningly, noticing that it had been Scootaloo guiding them the whole way. Scootaloo didn't bother answering, but the other two crusaders peeked out from behind the barn entrance, watching the cellar door as Rainbow emerged, excitedly gesturing for Applejack to hurry out with the barrel she was tugging along after her. "That's funny, my sister don't even let me down into the cellar. Why is she takin' Rainbow in there? And why's she bringin' up a cider barrel?"

"Two birds, meet one stone." Sweetie Belle whispered menacingly as her grin expanded, but the other two didn't seem to catch on. They hurried to the other end of the barn to watch them move the barrel over to a table and chairs located on the patio area, where the Apple family often sat and watched the sun go down over the farm.

Applejack hoisted the barrel onto a wooden table, attaching a nozzle to it carefully as to not lose a drop. She pulled two metal-rimmed wooden steins over for her purpose and cranked the nozzle until the cider poured out, foaming at the top. Rainbow Dash drooled at the sight of it, anticipating the sweet apple flavour that had only ripened with care in the cellar. Applejack passed the perfectly filled mug into Rainbow Dash's eager hooves, and in one long gulp she downed most of the whole thing. She sighed as her thirst was quenched, and she gently floated down into one of the chairs. Applejack grabbed her own mug and pulled up a chair right next to her friend, clicking their mugs together with a smirk. With another two sips, Rainbow Dash finished off her first mug of cider, and rushed earnestly over to the barrel once again. Since they had opened it, to consume it with the utmost attention to quality they would have to finish it off in one sitting, that's what Applebloom had been told once or twice before. Applejack watched carefully as her bushy tailed friend excitedly poured another full mug, sipping it all the while and loving the tickling bubbles against her lips. A small smile graced the farmer's lips, admiring such joy at such a small thing. Applejack leaned back in her chair, rubbing her strained neck with a hoof vacantly.

"Well anyway, what do you guys want to do?" Scootaloo was bored already, and turned around to face her friends. Sweetie Belle was not done watching however, as she stared on like she was gazing into the face of genius, "Uh, Sweetie Belle?"

"What we need is a new challenge." Sweetie Belle continued to look out at the pair before her, with this sinister grin creeping across her face and melting over her features like butter in the sun. "You girls remember how close we were to victory with the matchmaking we did?" She dropped a hint, but the two just sort of looked at each other, only vaguely understanding.

"What do you mean? What're you lookin' at, Sweetie Belle?" Applebloom put her head on her friend's, following the devious gaze to exactly where she hoped it did not fall: right on Applejack, "Hey, that's my sister!"

"And don't you think she deserves the best?" Sweetie Belle asked, turning her head up in suggestion.

"I think she likes her privacy, she won't like us meddlin' into her life like that." Applebloom argued, but thought about it for a second before continuing on with a better argument, "Besides, she never seems interested in any stallions in the slightest. She's got too much to do on the farm to worry about that kinda thing."

"Oh really? No stallions, you say?" Sweetie Belle made a face that told Applebloom she didn't believe but a word of it, and gestured out at the two girls who sat around drinking cider. Applebloom did not understand what she was getting at.

"What are you—?" She started to ask, but Sweetie Belle cleared her throat and stood up tall, commanding the attention of the other two. They stared on with confused expressions as Sweetie Belle swung the door open just a little more until the both older ponies were clearly in the fillies' sights.

"Girls, we have found our match." Sweetie started slowly as she turned to face the pair she had already decided upon, her eyes narrowing as if targeting her foes.

"We what?!" Scootaloo and Applebloom nearly shouted as they looked over the pony door of the barn, blinking at the accusation.

"You mean—" Scootaloo began first, but Applebloom caught on almost as quickly and joined in for the completion of the sentence.

"Applejack and Rainbow Dash?!" The two of them shouted at the same time that Sweetie Belle maniacally whispered the same two names that she had already decided upon. All three gazed back out at the two girls before their eyes, watching the way they smiled again and sipped at the cider in that glowing sunlight.

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Please review so I know that I suck!


	2. Another Day In The Apple Orchard

2. Another Day In The Apple Orchard

The froth of Sweet Apple Acres' hoofmade apple cider was thick and delicious, any that found its way to somepony's lips was never left to linger for long. Cider was precious to most any who tasted the sweet golden liquid, and everypony knew better than to lose even a drop if they could help it. The fresh scent of apples held firmly onto the bubbles in a warm embrace, and even the hardest of brews was sugary and succulent despite the intoxicating buck. The Apple family usually didn't make too many barrels of the hard cider, the alcoholic brew, but since they just lately built the cellar they had plenty of room to store them. That was exactly why Applebloom wasn't allowed down there, she was young and reckless and would hardly understand which barrels to steer away from.

Applejack was an expert at making cider by now, she knew just the right proportions of buzz and buck, sweet and bitter. Despite having herself a drink or two, she was determined to get back to work after a brief break with Rainbow Dash. And though Rainbow would be carefully when flying so soon after drinking, especially drinking Applejack's brew, she probably had some weather duties of her own to perform around town.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders continued to watch their targets from the shadows behind the pony door of the barn, though only one of the three was sold on the idea thus far. Sure, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were always around each other, whether they were helping each other out, just spending time together, competing for something or arguing, most of their free time was spent with each other. Sweetie Belle was no sucker, nor was she some hopeless romantic, she knew she had a knack for these kinds of things and was set on proving it. Applebloom, on the other hand, was determined to deny the very idea of such a thing.

"But they're both girls!" Applebloom tried to make some kind of argumentative case, but it fell through rather easily.

"Applebloom, what if this is your sister's special somepony?" Sweetie Belle reminded her, and that was true enough, Applebloom was not about to tell her own big sister who she could and could not like. That was not her place, and she knew nothing of the rest of the world's accepted ideas, "Don't you think that things like heritage, colour, or gender aren't as important as love?"

"I think she can do just fine at findin' that out all on her own." Another valid point was raised by Applebloom as she tried to stand between her friends and her sister, surly there was something else they could spend their time on.

"Maybe she needs our help! Wouldn't you just love to know that you're part of the reason for your sister's happiness?" Sweetie Belle kept at it, playing around with the idea of responsibility and approval.

"Well, yeah I guess, but Applejack is—" Applebloom had to agree on that point, but before she could go on with her objection Sweetie Bell hijacked her sentence with some melodramatic spectacle reminiscent of her older sister.

"Lonely? Solemn? Imprisoned by her own sense of moral and familial obligation instead of experiencing her own emotions?" Sweetie Bell took a long gasp for breath but gave not a second to either friend who might have tried to speak up, "Trying to keep herself appearing strong and independent while she's dying inside?"

"Uh, I don't know how to respond to—" Applebloom scratched her head as her face contorted into a confused expression, but again she could not express a full thought of her own.

"Maybe Sweetie is right. I mean just think about it, we could be like sisters!" Scootaloo suddenly realized, grabbing Applebloom's hooves and yanking her onto her hind legs to dance around.

"Rainbow Dash ain't your sister." Applebloom grumbled in a grouchy manner, pulling away from the contact.

"Give it time." Scootaloo suggested, nodding her head as she imagined such a thing.

"Why is it that you girls only ever pick on my family?" Applebloom complained as she looked back out at her older sister, who had finished her cider and excused herself to go check on some pies in the oven. "First my brother, and now my sister?"

"Coincidence." Sweetie Belle played innocent, batting her eyelashes about.

"I mean, I guess I just never really thought about my sister with any other pony. Are you seriously suggestin' that we try to set up Applejack with Rainbow Dash?" Applebloom put her hooves up on the lower half of the door, looking out into the glorious sunshine like something was about to go horribly wrong, "That just seems ridiculous, I mean if they were meant to be together don't you think they would be already?"

"It's not that simple, Applebloom." Sweetie Belle put a hoof on her friend, both trying to ease her worries and convince her to do her will, "This is a delicate situation, I mean, nopony wants to hurt any other pony's feelings, or embarrass themselves, or ruin a friendship as strong as theirs. Now, go talk to her already."

"Why do I have to—" Applebloom asked and nearly shouted a yelp as her two friends shoved her out the barn door and into the sunlight. Rainbow Dash looked over at her curiously as she heard it, blinking and raising one eyebrow. Applebloom just grinned and raced away towards the kitchen.

"Come on!" Sweetie told Scootaloo while she hurried after Applebloom, making certain she went right towards the kitchen where her sister was checking on the baked goods.

The farm was always vividly alive with colour and charm, each natural plant or animal holding perfectly its unique purpose and expressing something divinely normal about the land they lived on. Rainbow Dash was a stark contrast to it all, her sky blue coat more suited to the sky and the myriad of hues that sprung from her head and rear something supernatural and fantastic. Still, Applejack, a sucker for convention and tradition, seemed to have the bright headed pony around as often as she could manage. Perhaps she knew that there was more to life than the soil beneath one's hooves. Despite her awe inspiring appearance, Rainbow Dash had a habit of lazing around when she could have been doing something more productive. The crusaders, however, never wasted a moment.

The girls ducked behind each and every obstacle they could, watching Applejack through windows and doorways. Applebloom nervously frowned as the other two pulled her along, still not certain this was a pursuit they should follow. An overturned wheel barrow, a crate, a flower box, anything that could conceal three fillies would do just fine on their crusade for the truth. Hushing each other, they crept up on the target pony, her blonde mane tossed over her shoulder easily as she grabbed an oven mitt and reached in to remove the pie and check it. One of Applejack's favourite secrets was to sprinkle some cinnamon and brown sugar over the pie as it was cooling or finishing baking, so she instinctively reached for the mix she desired. Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo slid Applebloom across the tiled floor towards her sister, though she loudly clicked her hooves against the ground to try and slow herself down. Applejack peered over at her noisy sister with a smile as she added her final ingredient.

"Howdy Applebloom, did your friends go on home already?" Applejack asked gently as she placed the sugar back where it belonged, putting her hooves on the counter and lifting herself up to do so.

"Uh, no, they're around." Applebloom finished in an accusing growl, looking back into the hallway to see the other two girls stacked on top of each other and peeking in to the conversation, "Hey, uh, Applejack? Can I ask you somethin'?"

"O'course Applebloom, what do you wanna know?" Applejack accepted easily, checking the crust for crisp and the inners for consistency.

"Well, um," Applebloom almost shied away, but looking back at her friends giving her ushering gestures and such egged her to go on again, "Do you like Rainbow Dash?"

"Oh, Applebloom of course I do, she's one'a my best friends. That's like askin' if you like Scootaloo," Applejack laughed whole heartedly until the other two girls fell out of the doorway in shock and landed in a heap on the floor. Applebloom and Scootaloo stared at each other with disgusted faces, responding to such a statement.

"Eww, no! Gross!" The two shouted in horror, frantically stepping even further away from each other as Applejack curiously watched their odd behaviour.

"Don't even say that Applejack!" Applebloom cried out as she turned back to her sister with an angry face, pouting at such an accusation.

"What's wrong with Scootaloo?" Applejack asked, still not grasping the meaning of the conversation. She thought the two must have had some fight or something, nothing a good chat couldn't untangle surely.

"Nah, it's just I don't—" Applebloom tried to defend herself, but changed tangents mid-sentence with another holler, "That ain't what I'm askin'! That ain't the same thing at all!"

"It ain't?" Applejack wondered, biting at her lip as she went to open the oven again and replace the pie. Applejack knew when something was bothering her little sister, so she asked up front what was going on, "Somethin' on your mind, sugar cube?"

"She means to ask, do you _like_ Rainbow Dash? Like," Sweetie Belle tried to clear it up, first by clearing her throat as Applejack grasped the oven mitt and went to put the pie back in, "Really _like_ her?"

"What'd you say?!" She nearly dropped the pie in surprise, but managed to get control of it before shoving it in the oven and nearly bucking it shut. The oven mitt hit the floor harshly and Applejack swallowed nervously, trying to find an easy way to reply to such a thing, "Now what went and put that in your noggins? You really shouldn't be thinkin' of—"

"Do _you_ think about it?" Sweetie Belle went on to ask, a seemingly innocent question placed in a less than innocent context. Applejack was caught off guard by such an inquiry.

"Well, see now I—" Her face turned scarlet as she tried to get the image out of her head or hide her thoughts from the probing young fillies around her. She decided being loud and aggressive was the best way to go about shutting them up. "This ain't gonna help y'all get your cutie marks if that's what you're thinkin', now scram, I got work to do. All them apples ain't gonna buck themselves!"

"Don't you think it'd be quicker if you asked for Rainbow Dash's help?" Sweetie Belle tried again, noticing the way Applejack twitched at the sound of her friend's name.

"Get outta here!" Applejack shouted, scaring the little fillies into a sprint out of the kitchen. She stood there in the kitchen for a moment, her eyes looking around for any more spies, before she sighed a bit and took off her cowmare hat with an uneasy frown.

The three girls high-tailed it out of the kitchen, looking over their shoulders the whole way in case Applejack decided to toss something out after them. That wasn't much like her, but neither was that outburst. They breathed heavily as they ran back out into the sunlight, the bright radiance tangling in their shimmering young coats and kissing their hidden skin. The day was puttering along now, the sunlight torturing the ponies beneath and teasing them with the idea of sleep by every brief cloud that passed the sun. Applebloom found that she was somewhat disappointed by the reaction, as she had kind of wished that Applejack could be happy in the way that Sweetie Belle promoted. As they walked back past the barn into the orchard, Scootaloo sighed audibly more than once.

"Well, I guess that was a bust." Scootaloo said with a notable frown, stomping her hooves into the ground in a rude fashion.

"Was it?" Sweetie Belle asked rhetorically, flipping her mane like she knew something the other girls did not. As they sent her confused looks, she decided to reveal her hand and interpretation, "Didn't you see the look on her face?"

"She looked mighty angry to me," Applebloom murmured as she looked back down at the dirt she was so accustomed to, dark with fertility.

"Listen, girls, the reason our matchmaking didn't work last time was because we tried to make people fall in love who clearly weren't even friends to begin with." Sweetie Belle explained with a confident trot, looking back between the coming trees at her two imminent targets, "This time, however, we have a relationship to start from. All they need is a spark, you know, like what Twilight told us ignited the Elements of Harmony, don't you see?"

"I know Twilight's a princess and all, but that don't mean you gotta quote her every word." Applebloom complained as she scoffed a bit at the idea, "Ain't the Elements of Harmony somethin' _friendship _is based on?"

"Yes, but don't you think that love can follow the same concepts? Loyalty, honesty, generosity, kindness, laughter, and, uh." Sweetie Belle put her hoof to her chin, hoping somepony would fill in the blank adequately.

"Magic."Scootaloo and Applebloom spoke together, though neither seemed too interested in what Sweetie was getting at with all her fancy speak.

"Exactly, don't you think that love is kind of like magic too? A really strong kind of magic!" Sweetie called, her voice cracking at the top of her youthful vocal range. She still gestured about with her hooves, and the other two girls looked at each other as she did. "We have nothing to lose, girls. This is the call of the cutie mark, the epitome of adult relations, the aspirations of all young fillies alike! I know in my heart that these two are meant to be, now, who's with me?!"

"Well, I guess we could—" Scootaloo murmured a bit to Applebloom, but Sweetie's voice shouted out like it always did.

"Who's with me!?" She screamed the repeated words, and the other two winced as they heard the shrill voice. Giving in to the obviously overwhelming possibility, the two responded together.

"We're in." They replied, one slightly more confidant than the other.

They heard the door by the patio swing back open and ducked into cover, peering over at where the noise originated. Applejack had gone back outside near Rainbow Dash, and rolled the barrel of cider into the shade despite Rainbow's complaints. Regardless of whether she wanted to laze around or not, Applejack never had much of a choice when it came to working the farm. She would have plenty of time for relaxing once she was certain everything was taken care of, well, not plenty of time, but there should be some time. Rainbow Dash slurped at her mug slowly as she watched the barrel land on the grass in the shade of some little shed. Applejack wiped some sweat off her brow and turned back to her friend.

"Now then, I got some apples to pick for Granny's jams, since I went and cooked up so many of 'em for the pastries earlier. Shouldn't take long, ain't you got some rain clouds to clean up, any who?" Applejack asked, walking past the winged pony and looking back over her shoulder.

"It's not raining yet, it can wait. Can't you leave the cider? I'll take good care of it, promise." Rainbow Dash grinned this wide and untrustworthy grin, bringing out a chuckle from her friend.

"We'll drink more once the work is done, I can't relax with chores on my mind." Applejack explained, ducking her head under the bar that joined two wicker baskets, which she used for carrying apples back from the orchard.

"You don't have anything better on your mind than that?" Rainbow almost suggestively muttered over the brim of her cup as she raised a questioning eyebrow. She probably didn't intend for it to sound so enticing, but to Applejack the words were torturous.

"Well, well I," Applejack's face lit up as she remembered what the girls had been pressing her about, but laughed it off a little too hard. Rainbow narrowed her eyes, wondering what could possibly be so funny, "I won't be able to pick apples so well after a few more of those mugs, it's better I do it now. It'll clear my head."

"Maybe you had a bit too much already, sure you don't need an extra hoof or two?" She asked as she sat up in the chair and eyed the farm girl.

"Don't you worry about it Rainbow, I'll finish this up lickety-split and come on back for some more cider." Applejack started trotting off, passing the first few trees and mostly disappearing into the orchard.

"There are apple trees right here you know!" Rainbow shouted after her, but got no response. She frowned a bit, scratching her head. "Crazy pony, she's going to put herself in an early grave with all that worrying, I'll tell you that much." Rainbow muttered into her mug as she finished it off, licking her lips to save the flavour.

"Tell me about it." Applebloom's voice startled Rainbow so much that she flipped the chair right over and ended up underneath it. Looking through the wicker bars she glared at the young filly before lifting it over her head.

"Where'd you come from, kid?" Rainbow asked irritably, getting up and shaking herself off, brushing the dirt from her wings.

"I live here," Applebloom replied with a big old smile, which just kept sitting on her face as Rainbow stared at her. The other two fillies came up behind her, skipping about in a carefree manner. "Applejack ain't gonna admit it if she needs help, y'know that. What about you? Ain't you got some sky stuff to do?" Rainbow Dash just shrugged and she set up her chair again and went to sit in it. Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle shoved Applebloom to keep talking, "You wanna pick some apples or somethin?"

"I'm here for the cider." Rainbow Dash replied curmudgeonly as she sank into the seat, crossing her arms.

"Come on Rainbow Dash! It'll be fun!" Scootaloo knocked her off the seat she had just barely sat back in, and shoved her towards the orchard. Rainbow glared at the little filly, who just faked a smile and kept pushing her along.

"What fun could picking apples possibly be?" Rainbow groaned as she picked up her feet, annoyed with the ushering along. Applebloom ran up to them with the same contraption that Applejack adorned, though it was smaller in size. "This is slavery, I didn't agree to this!"

"But we're too small to buck the trees ourselves," Sweetie Belle made the saddest most manipulative face she could, dropping the corners of her mouth and watering up her eyes like she was about to start crying. "Please?"

"I, uh," Rainbow Dash made the mistake of looking into her great big shining eyes, a secret weapon reminiscent of Fluttershy's stare. Rainbow grimaced a bit and scowled, sighing loudly with a drop of her head, "Yeah, okay."

"Yay!" The three fillies skipped around her, despite her look of annoyance and lack of amusement.

The trees were wide and tall, breaching the toes of the sky and casting soft shadows on the cool dry grass in the orchard. The apples still clung onto their branches, some colours still just fading in beneath the sheen of the skin. Tossing her wicker baskets to the ground, Applebloom clicked her hind hooves thrice, and the other two girls fell into a line with her. Rainbow Dash looked around curiously, wondering just what it was they were up to. Applebloom cleared her throat, and though Sweetie Belle was the one who usually did the singing, this particular song was suited just for the little red-headed filly.

(Another Day In The Apple Orchard, lyrics by Ezrienel)

"What could be wrong,

When the sun is shining?

Grab a bucket or barrow,

And quit your whining!

There's plenty to be done,

And the work's just begun!

Brace your haunches, one, two, three!

Come on girls, buck them trees!

Grab them apples, gold, red, green,

Toss 'em if they ain't pristine.

(Rainbow) This isn't fun, you little liars.

Don't you want that sweet hard cider?

(Rainbow) Why do I feel like I'm being tortured?

It's just another day in the apple orchard!

My first day pickin',

I was screamin' and kickin',

And this is what my sister told me:

Look at them apples, ain't they sweet?

If you love the taste

Why would we waste

A day in the orchard kickin' up your feet?

Brace your haunches, one, two, three!

Come on girls, buck them trees!

Grab them apples, gold, red, green,

Toss 'em if they ain't pristine.

Applejack needs a bushel a day,

Don't you slack now, don't you stray,

Work ain't easy, it's true you heard,

It's just another day on the apple orchard!

Brace your haunches, one, two, three!

Come on girls, buck them trees!

Grab them apples, gold, red, green,

Toss 'em if they ain't pristine.

The reward is sweet, and it ain't no lie,

All you can eat of warm apple pie!

Just what the good doctor ordered,

Another day in the apple orchard!

Another day in the apple orchard!"

The final few apples fell into the buckets, bouncing about and losing one or two over the heap. All four of them fell off their hooves and collapsed into the grass, laughing and panting in exhaustion. Rainbow Dash was accustomed to wearing herself out, but all the apple bucking was not something her legs were used to doing. The little fillies had tried their best to buck, but by the end of the harvest they were pretty tuckered out. They all managed to pull themselves up and take a look at the bunch of bright fruits. Feeling accomplished, they all looked at each other and smiled. Despite the hard work, it was actually quite a fun time. Hearing the crunching of dry grass and fallen twigs, the ponies turned to the direction of the noise.

"What in the hay is all this?" Applejack asked as she came between the trees, her own baskets full to the brims with apples. "Did you girls do all this?"

"It was mostly Rainbow Dash," Sweetie Belle suggested with a sly smirk. "I think she just wanted to help you out."

"Ah shucks, you forced her out here didn't you?" Applejack knew, and all the little fillies almost fell over as their trick had been shattered, "Well whatever the reason, thanks y'all. Guess we should carry all these apples back now." Applejack started off towards the farm again, the apple buckets swaying on her shoulders as she stepped.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders, though tired, were not beat yet. Sweetie Belle looked at the baskets that Rainbow Dash and Applebloom carried, the rounds of fruit so temptingly easy to snag. If a helping hoof was not the way to unlock their secret affections, perhaps she would try something a bit less expected and a bit more juvenile. After all, their relationship was already rather physical and playfully competitive, what better way to take advantage of such a relationship was there than this?

She reached over to Applebloom's basket, attracting the attention of both her and Scootaloo. She silenced their suspicions with a wink and a grab of an apple, before completing her idea by gesturing that Applebloom give the basket to Scootaloo. She did so, and Sweetie Belle handed Applebloom the apple, since she had the best toss of them all. With a nudge, she got Applebloom to forcefully toss a fresh ripe apple at her elder sister, who was still turned away. The rest of the Crusaders ducked behind Rainbow Dash, who stood there blinking with the basket still in her teeth. Applejack flinched as the apple struck her, then cast this dastardly glare back at the group behind her. Without provocation, all three of the younger fillies pointed their hooves at the prime suspect: a certain cyan coated pegasus.

"Now, now, you should know better than to toss apples at me." Applejack warned her, trying to be gentle about it as best she could as her temper began to flare. Rainbow shook her head viciously, knowing the blame was falling squarely on her despite the fact she had been paying absolutely no attention a few seconds ago.

"But I didn't!" Rainbow Dash's voice squeaked a bit as she defended herself, making an angry face in return, "If I did, you'd be limping. Trust me."

"Likely story." Applejack didn't believe a word of it, and lowered herself until the baskets hit the ground before ducking under the bar and releasing herself from the weight. She grabbed an apple from one of her baskets and turned back around with her eyes narrowing, "Put 'em up, baby blue."

"Hey, what are you—" Rainbow Dash dropped the bucket of apples she was carrying as Applejack bucked an apple at her, which shattered as it his the tree Rainbow Dash had just raced away from. "Watch it! If I didn't know better I'd say you were aiming for me!"

"Then I hope you can dodge." Applejack grinned as she bit another two apples, tossing one straight up before the other, bucking them both directly at Rainbow Dash.

Applejack tossed another few apples into the air, bucking them straight down their determined path towards the now flying Rainbow Dash. She used her wings to out-manoeuvre the apples, but still jolted back and forth uneasily as they were catapulted her way. Determined to end this little spat, she grabbed a few of her own apples from the trees around that had yet to fall and began returning fire, tossing apples while she avoided a barrage.

Not one to be outdone by any possibly usage of her family apples, Applejack ducked and dodged around every assault Rainbow launched back at her. Finally she grabbed a mouthful of apples and tossed them at once into the air, alternating kicks as she propelled them at her rival in quick succession. Instead of letting Applejack gain the upper hand, Rainbow sped forwards with one beat of her strong wings, avoiding and evading each apple as it whizzed past her. Forcing her two front hooves in front of her, Rainbow Dash raced beyond perceived speed and closed the distance between the two before even one more apple was bucked. Rainbow didn't let any potential damage dissuade her, tackling Applejack to the ground with great force and sending them both into a speedy roll backwards until they hit a protruding root.

Their laughter was louder than any sight, and as the dust kicked up finally cleared the Cutie Mark Crusaders hurriedly approached the scene with great big shining eyes. Applejack chuckled as she laid against the wide trunk of a tree, with Rainbow Dash close over top of her. The two continued to share a heart felt snicker as the aggression evaporated, and Applejack stared at her friend's grinning expression. Applejack's hoof lightly touched Rainbow's chest, curling up to hide the obvious attraction. She bit her lip as she let the topic slip away, though her body told each of the fillies who watched that she was earnestly begging for some physical attention. Even Applebloom, who sought denial as a means to escape the possibility, saw the repressed look on her older sister's face as she touched the mare before her, silently begging for some satisfaction. Sweetie Belle's eyes lit up like fire as she watched them, her otherwise conservative opinions burning up under the blaze of clear passion. She held her hooves up to her face to frame the two before her, and muttered to herself and her friends what she wanted of the pair.

"Now, kiss!" Sweetie Belle whispered as a grin spread across her visage, staring in awe at the two before her. But her own aspiration fell apart before her in shards.

The rainbow haired pony before her flipped her mane and back away, holding the guffaw longer than the intimacy, accepting the whole ordeal as a friendly joke. Applejack knew well how to hide her disappointment, and brought herself to her hooves with a false smile. The two continued to chuckle a little as they picked up the few apples that were still good, putting them back into the baskets and making to carry them off. With a simple playful nudge of one to the other, they continued back to the farm. Sweetie Belle stared vacantly at the scene that unfolded, such a blatant attempt to seem less than fond of each other, there was no way it was possible they could both buy it! But she breathed out of her nostrils in a huff.

"Oh, come on!" Sweetie Belle sighed loudly in exasperation. She hurriedly shook off the disappointment and put on a brave face, "We were close with that one, girls." She argued as she followed the two older ponies closely, inspecting their behaviours carefully, "But maybe we need a more romantic and isolated location."

"More isolated than the apple orchard? More _romantic_ than the apple orchard?" Applebloom seemed entirely taken with her repeated location, and her two friends rolled their eyes a bit at the idea.

"Or maybe," Sweetie Belle thought as they returned to the farm, placing the apples near the barn for baking. Applejack started rolling out the cider once again, and Rainbow Dash was nearly drooling with anticipation, "We just need the right poison."

"Oh no, I thought we decided that we are not using any more potions or poisons, no way!" Scootaloo argued as she tried to get a hold of Sweetie Belle, who insisted that wasn't what she was talking about this time.

"I didn't mean literal poison!" Sweetie Belle shrieked and her voice cracked loudly, causing the two ponies in front of them to look back at her questioningly. She just smiled nervously and faked a laugh until they shrugged and turned back around. "It's some kind of expression Rarity used for alcoholic drinks. She says they're nothing but uncouth poison, besides her sip or two of wine with dinner. Rarity will hardly even touch anything that has alcohol, she says it drives a person to behave in ways they normally wouldn't hear of, drives them to act out their deepest desires and spill their darkest secrets."

"Well that ain't a bad idea, but where are we gonna get alcohol?" Applebloom whispered, noticing the way her sister still glanced back at them like she knew they were up to something.

"They're drinking hard cider, aren't they?" Scootaloo mentioned, and she and Sweetie Belle grinned, they just made it too easy sometimes.

"Hard cider? That's alcoholic?" Applebloom asked curiously, and the other two made weird faces at her, "And here I though it just meant it had rocks in it or somethin', I know that Applejack has her whiskey on the rocks, she says. Wait, ain't whiskey alcoholic too? Why does anypony ever wanna drink rocks?"

"Beats me." Scootaloo shrugged and contorted her face at hearing such oddities, moving the handle of the apple bucket around in her mouth.

The golden hills, harvests, and hay across the scene lit up anypony's eyes upon first sight, whether it was shimmering in the sunlight or dulled in the dusk, Sweet Apple Acres was just that kind of wonderful place. The apple and arrow that rested on the peak of the barn swivelled about now and then, and the Apple family kind of missed the way it used to squeak before they had raised a new barn. The new barn's ageing carmine paint was dulling to auburn like the seasons did, but nopony who spent such time there as the resident family could have possibly noticed. Applejack's own luminous golden mane blew in what whisks of wind made it through the trees and over the hills, but she did not mind it. She brought the harvest of apples up to the door for Granny Smith, and made certain the other buckets found their way to the same spot.

Rainbow Dash beat Applejack to the patio furniture, eagerly rubbing her hooves together in anticipation as she waited for her cider. Applejack did as she desired and rolled the barrel back out, putting it onto the same table, which was now shadowed by the lowering sun. Rainbow could not wait any longer, and hurriedly came up behind Applejack before she had even grabbed a mug and put her mouth under the nozzle. Turning it one way, she let the cider flow into her mouth and over her lips. Applejack laughed and turned it off, pushing her friend out of the way and retrieving the steins again. She filled it right to the brim as she was plenty skilled and doing and shoved the mug into Rainbow's hands.

"Leave some for the rest of us, will ya?" Applejack laughed and she got herself the same mug she always drank from and filled it up as well.

"You want a fair share, you better drink faster than that!" Rainbow said as she gulped more of the cider down, letting a few drops slide down her chin and between the short fur of her coat.

"What are we gonna do now, Sweetie Belle?" Applebloom asked quietly as they approached the pair, keeping a good distance away to muffle their little voices.

"Let them get a drink down first while a think," Sweetie Belle touched her hoof to her chin, tapping it while she tried to come up with something she must have read about in Rarity's magazines. Surely they mentioned something about lust and liquor, but Sweetie hardly knew what that meant much less how to provoke it. She frowned then, noticing her two friends waiting on her word, "You know, I don't see either of you coming up with any genius plans."

"My idea of romance is going out for ice cream or milkshakes," Scootaloo admitted with a scowl that told even ice cream might not please her, "And Applebloom thinks the apple orchard is romantic enough."

"Hey!" Applebloom did not have much of a way to negate the accusation, but was still offended by it.

"Okay point taken, let me just think," Sweetie Belle watched as Applejack casually enjoyed her cider, while Rainbow seemed more interested in consuming as much as she could so the taste might never disappear. Rainbow finished off her mug and hurried back over to the barrel, turning the nozzle and watching it pour out in this rich, golden hue. All the while Applejack watched, though she made a point of seeming like she wasn't. Sweetie Belle noticed the way Applejack bit at her lips a bit, and tasted every drop of cider on them. It gave her an idea, and she wrapped her arm around Applebloom to whisper to her, "Here, Applebloom, just go up to your sister and whisper this in her ear." Her voice dropped into a hush, the words catching into Appleblooms ear and letting not a syllable escape.

"What?!" Applebloom yelped at the strangeness of the request, and blushed a bit, "Now why would I wanna say that?!"

"Just trust me will you?" Sweetie Belle urged her on and pushed her towards her sister, who hardly even noticed her coming. Finally though, she looked over and faked a carefree smile.

"Ain't you kids gone back to the clubhouse yet?" Applejack asked gently, swirling around the remains of her drink in the bottom of her mug absently.

"No, not yet. I just, well see," Applebloom felt nervous saying things like this to her sister. They never did speak about that sort of thing, and it was awkward just to think about. Applebloom did as she was told though, getting up closer to her and whispering so nopony else might accidentally hear, "Don't you think that, um, apple cider has a way of mankin' anypony's lips look irresistible?"

"Now what in Celestia's name has gotten into you, Applebloom? You're way too young to be sayin' those things!" Applejack nearly shouted, making a terribly disappointed face at her younger sister, who backed away in fear and put her ears down flat against her head, "I mean, thinkin' that—"

Applejack stopped herself as she noticed Rainbow Dash aggressively chasing the bottom of her mug, the drops of cider that got away were slipping over her lips and dripping once or twice from her chin. Applejack's face flushed and her words fell apart into fragments around her as she stared blindly on, gawking and gaping at her friend's sweet looking lips as they made a cosy bed for froth. Rainbow licked at the rim of the mug, leaving the refreshing froth on her upper lip like it belonged there. It was uncertain whether her gaping was a result of the cider or her own dark thoughts, but either way she was captivated. Applejack swallowed some cider soaked saliva as she gathered herself, trying to ignore the golden, gleaming goodness that gripped Rainbow's lips.

Applejack blinked twice as she tried to get a hold on herself, and spoke without looking at her little sister, "Uh, what were you sayin'?"

"Nothing," Sweetie Belle interrupted as she and Scootaloo hurriedly grabbed Applebloom and dragged her away to safe cover, "We're going to go play now, bye!"

Applejack didn't even bother waving the girls off, she was still trying to pull herself away from staring. The cool, refreshing cider looked so temptingly tantalizing on Rainbow's warm lips, the golden liquid capturing the beams of sun that crept over the shadow of the shed. Applejack found herself approaching her friend, her eyes still intent on memorizing the rounds of each loose drop. She bit at her lower lip again, nipping back the desires as always she seemed to be doing. Rainbow had pulled her chair right up next to the barrel by now and was leaning on the table it was placed on for support. One could already perceive the sway of her eyes and the heat in her cheeks as mild intoxication. Rainbow Dash noticed Applejack so near and paused in her indulging, raising a questioning brow.

"Oh hey, Applejack. You coming to scold me again or something?" She asked with a chuckle, her hooves curling in. Applejack stepped closer again, halting Rainbow's laughter dead. Their bodies were dangerously near, and the heat of the sun was nothing but a cool breeze compared in contentment to their communion. Applejack leaned too much nearer, her breath especially noticeable against the cider-stung face of her friend.

"Sweet Apple cider ain't never s'posed to be left on somepony's lips for so long, y'know." Applejack said huskily while her eyes held the connection, both parties almost paralysed by the vicinity. Rainbow Dash twitched a bit as the furry top of Applejack's hoof brushed against her soft, tingling lips. Applejack moved her arm closer to her own face, and though she did not break the eye contact she could smell and feel the cider there. Her tongue emerged from her mouth, moist and thirsty, and she let it drag across the remnant drops of the sweet apple cider, enjoying the especially interesting taste. "It's an awful waste."

"Now," Sweetie Belle whispered in the tiniest and most captivated musing, her eyes firmly set and shining like she was going to push them together herself, "Kiss!"

Rainbow Dash was bestilled by the action, and for a moment longer than she anticipated her voice was caught in her throat. She decided to take it as a playful joke, and smiled a bit though her eyes were still uncertain, "Uh, there's more in the barrel, you know."

"Don't mind if I do." Applejack replied with a tip of her hat as she dipped her head under the nozzle and turned it. It was in utter defiance of what she had said earlier, and used that fact to lighten the mood. Rainbow Dash laughed at the ridiculous show and nudged her friend until they both started chuckling, shrugging the subject away as usual.

As the pair before their eyes gently swept the erotic moment under the rug the way they were prone to do, the three young fillies blinked in confusion. It had seemed so easy to push them over the edge at first, but now it had become clear that Applejack and Rainbow Dash were very uneasy with such change, or both equally stubborn. Sweetie Belle let out this heavy held breath and pulled another sharp one in, her quivering lip and twitching eye an obvious sign of what was to come. The two other fillies immediately covered their ears and closed their eyes, preparing themselves for what always came after that.

"No!" Sweetie Belle shrieked at the very top of her lungs, rattling the loose stones all across the yard. The birds in the trees nearly fell out of their perches as they flew off, and several apples toppled out of nearby trees. She held the note for a good few seconds before she noticed the staring. The orange and blue ponies a mere few meters away gaped at her with shocked expressions until she stopped herself. She just looked back for a few seconds, her hands still thrown above her head in frustration. She blinked, and came up with some flimsy excuse, "There was a snake."

"It was just a twig, she's fine." Scootaloo nervously played with a laugh as she and Applebloom grabbed their still stage-frightened friend and yanked her away from the scene. "Let's go play!"

Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other and shared a mutual shrug, before they both got back to the cider they used to drown anything unconventional. They both had far too much to lose on something as silly as interpreted interest.

The Cutie Mark Crusaders hurried away from the scene so they would not give anything away as to their secret intentions. Sweetie Belle groaned and stomped about, upset that her plans were all falling through. The other two followed her with worried expressions, hoping she was not about to have a hissy fit or something. She stopped though when they were far enough away from Applejack and Rainbow Dash, and sighed loudly again.

"I was sure that would work!" She complained with a frown, stomping her right hoof again in disappointment, "We need to have a plan. Last time, we sat Big Mac and Cheerilee right in front of each other and hoped something would happen, but Applejack and Rainbow Dash are together all the time, that wont work!"

"Well we ain't tryin' that love poison again, I can tell you that much." Applebloom reminded her again, and Sweetie shot her a pouting, irritated expression before she tried to be constructive.

"We don't need any more potions or spells or tricks, what we need is," She had to think of the word, and it rolled around a bit in her mouth before she got it right, "A crisis."

"A crisis? Like what?" Scootaloo asked as she tilted her head to one side.

"It has to be something important, something drastic." Sweetie Belle continued to explain, trying in her head to figure it out before spouting it, but she chewed on the idea for a bit. It had to be something extreme and imminent, something nopony could figure would be a lie, "What if something, no, some_pony_ very dear to them was taken away, they'd have to go and save them, right?"

"How're we gonna to do that? Hire somepony to kidnap somepony else?" Applebloom wondered, the whole thing sounding like trouble if she ever heard it.

"Not exactly, I mean, what if the pony who was kidnapped was in on it? And just pretended to be missing?" Sweetie Belle tried to iron out the details, her vision coming together before her eyes as she looked into the faces of her friends.

"Well who in Equestria would want to do that?" Scootaloo scoffed as she poked at the dirt, still not sold on any of it.

"It'd have to be somepony fast, somepony small," Sweetie glanced at her short haired friend to see if she was getting it, but it apparently was only clear in two of the three fillies' heads, "Somepony who means something to Rainbow Dash or Applejack." Both Sweetie Belle and Applebloom looked directly as Scootaloo as she nodded, agreeing to the terms without fully grasping the implication.

"Why are you looking at me?" Scootaloo noticed the stares and tilted her head in question. Her friends just both let slip a couple of not so innocent smiles and Scootaloo understood their motives at once, "No way, no way! Why me?"

"Well you are the bravest, ain't cha? Scoot-Scootaloo?" Applebloom did her chicken call, and Scootaloo glowered under the accusation, "It has to be you, Rainbow Dash would never let anythin' bad happen to you. B'sides, my sister would rally the whole apple family if I went missin', I'd never be able to stay hidden."

"Please, Scootaloo?" Sweetie Belle expelled this glorious puppy-dog face, her lips quivering and everything, "You'd just have to stay out of sight, you could stick real close the whole time and we could see you at night when Applejack and Rainbow Dash are asleep."

"You going to beg me?" Scootaloo huffed, but the other two looked at each other before falling at her feet and bowing, saying all kinds of weird begs and pleads. Scootaloo stiffened up with embarrassment and shoved them away, "Stop that already! I'll do it, I'll do it. But both of you owe me one." Applebloom and Sweetie Belle hit hooves and cheered a bit as Scootaloo sighed in defeat.

"This is going to be great! Now all we need is a good story and a convincing act." Sweetie Belle got right back down to business, drawing with her hoof in the dirt. The other two peered over her shoulder and made concerned expressions, wondering just how far she was willing to take this whole thing.


	3. Cutie Mark Crusader: Adventurers!

3. Cutie Mark Crusader: Adventurers!

"Why does it have to be '_epic_'?" Sweetie Belle repeated the crude word, though it sounded weird on her lips, "It's a kidnapping, Scootaloo, it's going to be exciting no matter what."

"But if you just say that somepony grabbed me and ran into the woods, Rainbow Dash isn't going to be half as determined to save me!" Scootaloo made her case, stomping her hooves about as they hid her scooter behind the Crusader clubhouse, "You have to make it more daring, more rushed, more, like, scary!"

"I dunno if I like where this is goin'." Applebloom muttered and shook her head, knowing how well their daring plans usually ended up: with the three of them covered in sap.

"Just trust me you guys, this is going to be awesome." Scootaloo confirmed with a stern nod, already knowing exactly how she was going to go about making it just that more irresistible, "There's no way Rainbow could resist it, it's like a direct challenge to her strength, her agility, her awesomeness!"

"You're usin' that word too much." Applebloom commented while they made their way through the orchard to approach the farm from another angle.

"Now wait a moment, are you sure that this will get her attention? It just seems so, so far fetched, and so drastic." Sweetie Belle asked again, uncertain how something like this would hold up to scrutiny. After all, it was not the most believable plan, though she had to admit is was quite thrilling.

"Trust me, if I know anything, it's that Rainbow Dash could never turn down an adventure." Scootaloo grinned, knowing that finally her trivial knowledge of her hero's personality would finally be used for a worthy cause.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash were still relaxing on the patio as the sun began to set, their stomachs filling with cider and their moods content. There were few things more beautiful than a sunset on Sweet Apple Acres, notably a sonic rainboom or a meteor shower. They were so intent on watching in, in fact, that though they saw the two young fillies racing towards them, they did not notice any urgency until their little voices could be heard.

"Applejack! Applejack! Help, hurry!" Applebloom's voice distracted Applejack from the blinding sun, which she had been laying in as she finished her cider. She sat up in her chair and noticed the terrified look on her face. Leaping from her seat like any concerned family member she hurried to her sister's side and began rapidly circling her.

"What's goin' on litle sis, you're not hurt are you?" Applejack picked up her sister's two front hooves and looked at them, before hurrying around her to check her back and heels, "You didn't get caught in a thorn bush, or fall out of a tree, or wake Granny from her nap, did you?"

"Quit inspectin' me, this is important!" Applebloom picked the words roughly out of her teeth as she smacked her sister's prying hooves away and stared at her straight in the eye, though she was no good at the whole lying thing.

"Where's Scootaloo?" Rainbow Dash asked seriously as she came up to the frantic fillies, her intimidating stance casting a shadow to close the distance between them. For once, Rainbow Dash was not in a playful or sporting mood, she just stood there waiting for the response. The two girls swallowed hard and carried on with the story.

"That's just it! She's gone!" Sweetie Belle cried out, grabbing Rainbow Dash's front leg with an embrace, crying into her fur as to hide the guilt on her face, "This horrible creature came out of nowhere and attacked us! It was like a lion, but with wings and this long pointy tail," Scootaloo had told them about such a creature that Rainbow Dash had faced before, she would never forget a story like that, "It had these long claws and sharp teeth, it's going to gobble her up and we gotta go save her!"

"Right!" Rainbow Dash stomped her free hoof as Sweetie Belle let her go. She unfurled her great, strong wings and beat them hard to lift her off the ground, with one direct motion she charged in some direction. She was stopped mid-charge though, and fell hard onto the ground as Applejack yanked on her tail in her teeth.

"Hold your hooves there Dash," Applejack spoke quite clearly despite having her friend's rainbow coloured tail in her mouth. She spat it out and looked back at the two fillies seriously, "Now which way did they go?"

"That way!" They both pointed in one direction as they had planned, a dangerous and exciting direction. Rainbow Dash grinned sheepishly as she realized she would have been going in the wrong direction.

"South East, she could be anywhere from here to Baltimare." Applejack frowned, noticing that in that direction was also Ponyville, and then the Everfree forest. She furrowed her brow as she considered it, "Now why would a Manticore come out here, kidnap a filly, then fly back over Ponyville to get away?"

"We ain't tryna reason with it, sis!" Applebloom shook her sister rapidly, shaking the suspicion out of her as best she could. Applejack got a hold of herself and nodded, rushing towards the barn.

"Right, I'll grab a couple of saddlebags and tell Mac to watch the farm." Applejack called back as she ran to knock open the door and grab her things.

"We don't have time for that, come on! I bet I can still catch him if I fly fast enough!" Rainbow Dash got to her feet and argued, storming after Applejack aggressively.

"It's called bein' responsible. And what may I ask happens if you do race up catch 'em? You'll fight a Manticore all by your lonesome after drinkin' that much cider?" Rainbow Dash growled as Applejack pointed out the flaws in that plan, and surely there were a few. "Not while I have a say in it, Rainbow."

"Well—well then move your flank already!" Rainbow Dash ushered Applejack along, still annoyed by the delay.

Applejack just nodded and did as she was told, hurriedly grabbing her saddle bags and tossing them onto her back, rushing out immediately after. She kept her bags packed in case of times like this, complete with some medical equipment in case of injury, two canteens and a jar of apple jam. As she raced back outside the four ponies ran towards Ponyville, Applejack merely shouting at Big Mac along the way to hold down the fort. There was no sign of any other troubles in the town, but they kept on anyway towards the forest where they already knew one Manticore lived. Rainbow Dash flew ahead, trying desperately to keep straight while her head spun with anger and mild intoxication. The two young fillies had a hard time keeping up with their older company, but they did their best anyway. They came upon the forest quickly, still finding no signs of any struggle.

"You kids really shouldn't be comin' with us, this is dangerous." Applejack told the girls as she looked back at them while they slowed before the forest, "You should get on home, maybe stay with Rarity."

"No way!" Applebloom shouted, and Applejack stopped in her chase to hear such a passionate excuse, "Scootaloo is my friend! She is part of the Cutie Mark Crusaders, and we are comin' whether you let us or not!"

"You'd do the same for each other, wouldn't you?" Sweetie Belle asked, and Rainbow Dash and Applejack looked over at each other with resolve. They sort of smiled a bit and nodded, accepting the conditions.

"Well all right, but you stick on close to us, y'hear?" Applejack warned them as she watched their eyes for truth. They both nodded at once and followed Rainbow Dash towards the tree line, disappearing into the dark flora.

The Everfree forest did not scare the Crusaders while Rainbow Dash and Applejack were around, there was little to fear with two girls as strong and brave as they were. Now, they only had to get ahead of the game, make certain that their damsel in distress was fine. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle let Applejack and Rainbow Dash get something of a lead while they glanced around in the bushes, looking for that fuchsia mane. At a mere few yards in, a rustle from beside them told them they were in the right place, and the third of their group held her bright orange hoof to her lips to keep quiet. Sweetie Belle and Applebloom gestured for Scootaloo to hurry after them, and delved deeper into the Everfree forest.

This strange place, this oddity, this absence of reason, this clump of shrubbery and foliage, sustained no life that the ponies knew. The plants grew wildly, and so many different kinds and colours, cruel, cannibal, jesting, any magic that could not be comprehended fell through the leaves like dew slipping about until it hit the black soil floor. It was soft on hooves, moist in the darkness and the rain, which fell without the consent of any native pegasi. Creatures of the forest were known to devour one another without mercy, clemency, or guilt nor rue, and since they have been seen to come in various different sizes, most ponies were deterred from venturing within.

The sunlight was tangled in the canopy, barely a beam was let to squeak through onto the journeying few below. They slowed as the trees encircled them, yawning and swaying in each direction, casting shadows on any trails or routes one might think to dare. Rainbow Dash descended and stepped onto the lush forest floor, looking around curiously as if the answer would swing down from the branches.

"Hey Rainbow, think you can fly above all them trees and make yourself useful?" Applejack trotted past her, keeping her eyes in the bushes. Rainbow Dash accepted the challenging terms and leapt into the air and through the trees in one swift jump, breaking leaves and branches onto the ponies below. "See anythin' up there?"

"It all looks the same!" Rainbow Dash called back down, turning around and around to try and measure some distance or find some possible clue. "What do we do now?"

"Come on back down," Applejack told her, waiting until she broke through the trees again and fluttered close above her to go on, "We gotta keep walkin', and hope we find somethin' soon."

"But what if we're going the wrong way? That kid could be in danger, A.J., and we're just wandering around with no idea!" Rainbow Dash argued, making a devilishly angry face. Applejack just reached up and grabbed her hoof, pulling her down to Earth again.

"We ain't doin' no pony no good standin' around. We'll find her, Rainbow." Applejack gave her friend a supportive smile, nudging her and walking just a little bit closer as she did, "I promise you that."

Sweetie Belle roughly shoved Applebloom, pointing to the little bits of progress that shone out before them in the darkness. Her lively and excited grin was apparent even inside the forest, and she anticipated more to come. Scootaloo got the hint too, and hurriedly rushed in front of them quite a ways. Determined to do as Sweetie Belle asked and keep them moving forwards, she skidded into the dirt and left all kind of hoof prints, leading them deeper into the woods. She jumped then and landed on a fallen tree, kicking the mud off her hooves and hiding into the brush, leaving her tracks to disappear.

Though the darkness had her somewhat uncomfortable, she knew that Rainbow Dash was not far behind, and used the plan as a means to keep her mind from wandering deeper into the forest. She could hear their hooves on the squishy moss and soil, trotting along towards her through the overgrown vines. Ducking her head under some creepy greyish lichen runs, which was what the little fillies called Old Gelding's Beard, Scootaloo watched on in silence.

Rainbow Dash was first to breach the foliage, and she shook her mane about to get the pine needles and stray leaves off of her. Applejack was not far behind, and kept checking her pace and over her shoulder to be certain her sister and Sweetie Belle were following close enough. Rainbow Dash looked around the clearing quickly and spotted the mess in the dirt, which halted her mid sprint. She raced towards the dirt, kicking up a bit of dust as her hooves hit the ground hard and she peered down at the odd designs. Applejack hurried to her side and peeked over her shoulder, making out the erratic steps of a seemingly frightened filly. Steam could have blow out from Rainbow's nose with the frustration and rage that seeped from her low stance.

"Rainbow, relax now. These hoof prints tell us that she's still runnin' fine, I don't see any other prints, nor any disturbance in the trees, so it looks like she may be alone." Applejack tried to explain to her, putting a hoof on her friends shoulder. Her attempts at consolation fell flat as Rainbow brushed her off and followed the dead-end trail furiously.

"She's alone, Applejack. Alone out here in the woods with a scary lion-thing chasing her," Rainbow Dash growled as she started on again, her eyes never faltering from the unmarked path ahead, "I can't take any chances. I gotta keep moving."

Scootaloo wanted to jump out of the bushes and hug Rainbow Dash, such determination in the face of danger was awe inspiring. No pony had ever cared so much about her as this pony who was not even technically related to her, and she could feel tears welling up because of it. Her two friends, however, seemed to see her in the bush and hurriedly gestured for her to stay put. They were right after all, if she came out now Rainbow Dash would never forgive her for making her worry like that.

"Lead the way, sugar cube." Applejack gestured ahead with her hoof, ready to follow the sky-blue pony, even if she was just chasing the falling feathers of her breakneck charging.

It was difficult for any of the fillies to keep up, but Scootaloo had to do so without being spotted or getting herself into any danger. She hurried after the group, their rough brushes with the bushes and heavy hoof prints leading the way all too well. The forest was dark at any time of day, but through the breaks in the leaves any pony could tell that the night was rising quickly, and their daylight would be spent in vain.

Rainbow Dash ground her teeth as she charged through the air and dodged some more branches, just imagining the rear kicking she would be dishing out to a certain Manticore if she ever got her hooves on him. They came to a clearing, made a phthalo green by the looming eve and the deep hue of the forest. Rainbow Dash had been pretending she could not hear them calling after her, but finally she found herself landing and trotted to a stop.

"Rainbow, ain't you listenin' to me?" Applejack groaned as she hurried into the clearing after Rainbow, "The fillies can't go on any longer, and it's gettin' dark out. We ain't gonna find squat in the forest after nightfall, you know that."

"I know, I know," Rainbow repeated until her voice went quieter, stomping about on the much too soft moss, hating how nice it must have felt to lay in, "I haven't known where I'm going for a while now. I'm probably just getting us more lost."

"Nah, you're doin' the best you can. Scootaloo's a fighter y'know, just like you are, I'm sure she's safe. We can't do anythin' all blind and disoriented. We'll start fresh after some rest, okay?" Applejack tried to convince her, gesturing at the fillies who stumbled into the clearing heaving and panting loudly.

"I know you're right, but," Rainbow nearly screamed in frustration, stomping a few more times around the clearing, "I'm just so angry! I don't like her being out there, A.J., I don't like it."

"Nothin' to like about it, but we gotta try to keep our heads on straight." Applejack ushered the younger girls towards Rainbow Dash and sat them down by a thick tree in the clearing. "Once it's light out you can try checkin' the skies again."

"Mhmm." Rainbow Dash didn't even want to respond, she just wanted to run off and spend all night searching, but she couldn't leave Applejack and the fillies alone in the forest either, that wasn't right. Besides, perhaps she was a bit tired herself.

"Lay your heads on down there, girls," Applejack gently placed her saddle bags on the ground by the tree and let the girls relax against them, using the bags as pillows.

Their eyelids were heavy, and their bodies still rose and fell with laboured breathing. Applejack stared particularly long at her sister. She was quite the nuisance sometimes, but she loved her sister so much, it killed her to even imagine such a thing happening to her that happened to Scootaloo. If Rainbow felt even a fraction of this pain, she should not be left alone. Applejack waited another moment or so to be certain that the young fillies were either asleep or too tired to move.

Applejack carefully and quietly slipped around the tree as to not disturb the girls, and cleared her throat gingerly before speaking, "Hey, uh, Rainbow?"

"What?" Rainbow Dash replied, though it didn't sound half as snippy as she meant it to.

"You doin' okay?" Applejack inquired as she stepped up beside the mare, whose cyan fur became some moonlit grey under such little light. "You should lay down for a bit."

"I don't want to." Rainbow denied the request, her chest puffing out as if she was staring something down. She sighed though, feeling that the answer was not accepted by Applejack as sufficient, "I just feel like, if I lay down, I'm like giving up or something."

"Sugar cube, you put far too much pressure on yourself." Applejack nudged her, but still there was no physical response, "If you won't do it for you, how's about you keep me some good company?"

"Well," Rainbow Dash felt her will giving in, the idea of laying next to her best friend and being consoled sounded better than standing out in the brisk evening air. She chewed at her lip a bit as she tried to get the words to come out right, "I guess I can do that."

Applejack guided her friend around to another near side of the tree from where the little fillies were to sleep, and sat down in the nook of a protruding root. Rainbow Dash hesitated, but found herself sitting down a few feet from her farm pony friend. She didn't look over to her or anything, she just stared out into the sky some more as if Scootaloo might be up there. That was ridiculous, the young pony could hardly get herself off the ground much less fly over the tree tops. She frowned deeply, feeling her lips curl down her chin.

"Honey," Was a rare term of endearment to breach Applejack's lips, and Rainbow Dash knew that, "Tomorrow will be a better day, I'm sure of it. But you ain't gonna be able to do much if you keep yourself up all night worryin'. Let yourself catch a blink or two."

"For a working pony, you sure talk a lot." Rainbow muttered grouchily, and Applejack smiled, taking it as something of a compliment and a means for Rainbow to express her awful mood.

"I s'pose I do." Applejack chuckled a bit as she turned away from her friend and curled herself up next to the tree, "I'll hush up now."

Applejack closer her eyes and laid her head on her hooves, squirming a bit until she was completely comfortable. Her breath came out in one long, easy sigh, and Rainbow Dash could hardly resist the urge to look over at her. She watched the farm pony's slow and rhythmic breathing for some time, as if the sight of her could bring some peace. Her eyebrows furrowed as she watched Applejack shiver though, and despite her better judgement she moved a few inches closer, strictly to better observe her. Another, smaller shiver escaped her despite her resistance to it, and Rainbow Dash felt a tug at her chest. She frowned and looked around, making certain no pony was still awake. In the quiet night, any pony could have heard the unfurling of Rainbow's bright wings, but only Applejack got to feel the gentle warmth they provided as one was wrapped over her. Rainbow Dash couldn't look at her then, afraid she would wake up and question her intentions. But finally, she realized that for the moment she was safe, and decided to close her own eyes for a wink. Feeling a chill all her own, she even went so far as to move another few inches closer, sneaking some heat from her good friend.

Sweetie Belle peeked one eye open, watching the shadowed silhouettes of the older mares as they laid still. She nudged Applebloom, but no response came. She elbowed her more roughly and earned an irritated groan, which was promptly silenced by Sweetie's hoof. Applebloom growled into her friend's hoof until she removed it, then found herself being pulled to her feet and directed away from the surprisingly comfortable saddle bags. She wiped her eyes a bit as they approached the edge of the clearing, the oddly shaped brush forming some dark fringe. Sweetie hurried into the bushes and dragged Applebloom after her, not that she did not want to go just that she was too exhausted to try and move freely. Beyond the first layer of foliage they found what they were looking for, an annoyed little orange filly sitting on the moss with a firmly set frown across her face.

"Scootaloo, how are you doing?" Sweetie Belle asked as Applebloom yawned and tried to focus on the situation again.

"I've been better, actually." She grumbled as she flipped her bright hair, "How much longer do I have to do this? I don't really want to sleep alone in the woods, you know."

"It won't be much longer I promise," Sweetie Belle nodded furiously as she directed their attention over the pastel ridges of the bushy fringe, "Look! They're practically cuddling!"

"I dunno if that's what—" Applebloom didn't get to finish her though as Sweetie went on.

"All we need is one more day, Rainbow Dash should slow down now that there are no leads, so she will probably stay back with Applejack. That's exactly what we want." Sweetie Belle's grin seeped across her features as her two friends exchanged nervous glances.

"Is it?" Applebloom scratched her head a bit as Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes at the lack of enthusiasm.

"Look, we're out here already, might as well have fun with it. It's an adventure, girls! An adventure!" Sweetie Belle shoved them until they smiled and nodded.

"Cutie Mark Crusader Adventurers!" They all squealed in unison, before they all shoved their hooves into their mouths to silence the volume. The Crusaders leaned out and looked at the pair of mares not too far off, noticing only a shuffle or two from them.


	4. Big Wings, Broken Wings

A/N: Sorry for the delayed update, been working on other stories, just got a new job and started my third year of university. I'll try to do better, though!

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4. Big Wings, Broken Wings

Any morning in the Everfree forest felt like dusk most anywhere else, the sun was strangled by the tall trees and tied up in the hanging vines, the air was moist and heavy instead of fresh and fleeting. There was no golden sunrise, no rounds of hills of wheat or bright red shimmering apples, no distant blue mountains glistening from base to snowy peak, no singing of harmonious birds or bustling of townsfolk. No, in the Everfree forest, the mornings were dismal and damp, trampled on by the grumbling of ominous creatures not yet named. It smelled of rotting wood and tainted muck, the wind in the trees more of a constant sway than any breeze of life. Rainbow Dash stirred as she felt somepony prod her, and groaned a bit louder as it came again. Applejack nuzzled her side just once more before Rainbow let out with groggy sigh and opened her eyes half way.

"It's too early, A.J., go back to sleep." Rainbow Dash murmured as she crossed her hooves over her nose, closing her eyes back up.

"Rainbow get your lazy butt up, we've got a filly to find." Applejack snorted as she jabbed her with a hoof, causing her to twitch and brace herself upright a bit more. Rainbow Dash looked at the intrusive mare and blinked twice before she understood what the words actually meant.

"Oh my gosh, Scootaloo!" Rainbow Dash's wings flashed open and Applejack had to jump out of the way to avoid being hit with them or her other stumbling, uncoordinated movements. "We have to move! How could you let me sleep like that? What time is it?"

"Uh, dawn." Applejack decided to respond to only one of her outbursts.

"I have a lot of ground to make up," Rainbow Dash trotted in place for a second to warm herself up, flapping her wings about and stretching. Applejack shook her head and knew what was coming next, "Catch up with me when you can, I'm—"

"Hold it right there, partner," Applejack grabbed her tail with her teeth as Rainbow made to fly off, halting her charge right at the beginning. She was surprised by the action and fell back to the ground with a loud _thud_. She glared back at Applejack and waited on an explanation, "Listen here, you ain't got no idea where that little filly could be. Now our best course'a action is to stick close, move at a brisk pace and study our surroundin's for clues. Don't cha think?"

"Oh sorry, I didn't know that Twilight had come along with us." Rainbow Dash grumbled sarcastically as she picked herself up and shook the dust out of her coat.

"Come on now, we're losin' daylight." Applejack walked past her pouting friend, gesturing to the two younger fillies to come after her. Applejack already had put her saddle bags back on and was carrying them without complaint. Rainbow Dash managed a groan before she went off after them, trotting past the girls to walk parallel to Applejack.

Rainbow Dash decided to keep her mouth shut for a while, because since she was so worried, she feared she might come off as hostile to the others, and Applejack would buck her silly if she ever spoke to Applebloom in a rude manner. Still, she was more than irritated that she had to keep going so slowly when she wanted to just charge head first through through the forest until she found the kid. For one reason or another, she felt responsible for the filly, and she would not let her down. The forest was unnerving for any pony, it was just so unknown and mysterious, there was no way to know what to expect. The crunching of old dying twigs on the ground under hooves was something to listen to, but it was no comfort.

The young fillies kept up much easier now that Rainbow Dash was on the ground with the rest of them, and not racing ahead chasing a shadow or illusion. All the while as they skipped along, they kept glancing around behind them, watching the small fragments of orange fur peek out from behind the makeshift path as Scootaloo followed cautiously after them. Sweetie Belle had been trying to think up new ways to test the older ponies in front of her, new ways to hint to them just what they seemed not to see on their own. It was quite difficult she realized, thinking up ways to push them together while staying under their radar, especially difficult while they were walking around in this creepy forest. Wait, fear seemed to be an effective tool for forcing people together.

"Did you hear that?" Sweetie said in the most terrified voice she could imitate, shivering a bit as she hurried up to Applejack's flank, walking close as though something was really getting under her skin. Applebloom felt a twinge of jealousy reignite, reminding her of that time she let Sweetie Belle have her sister for just one day. She better not have been trying to steal her sister away again.

"Hear what?" Applebloom asked seriously as she came up real close and glared at Sweetie Belle, before noticing the way she opened her eyes up big and glanced back and forth from the mares before her.

"There it was again! It sounded like a deep, throaty growl!" Sweetie Belle ran up to the other side of Rainbow Dash, pushing against her so she walked another hoof closer to Applejack. Applebloom was not the brightest when it came to these things, but she caught on quickly enough.

"I heard it too! It's gonna come out here an' eat us all up!" Applebloom cried as she ran to her sister's side, shoving her to close some more distance between her and the blue mare.

"Now I ain't hearin' nothin', little sis," Applejack told her as she looked down dully at the little filly, "What's gotten into you?"

"This forest is full of scary monsters who love the taste of sweet, innocent pony flesh!" Sweetie Belle called out with great melodramatic enthusiasm, "Any number of them could be right at our flanks! Waiting!"

"Come on kids," Rainbow Dash made something of a huffed laugh, not afraid for a moment, "Anything you can find out in the forest here is no match, not for your friendly, neighbourhood Rainbow Dash!"

"Was that s'posed to rhyme?" Applejack wondered as she raised her eyebrow and smirked, driving Rainbow Dash to nervously grin and shrug.

"They say that the monsters in here are unlike anything we have seen in Ponyville," Sweetie Belle continued, gesturing about with her front hooves, "They're massive, as large as trees, with skin as hard as stone. They have teeth the size of pegasus wings and tongues that can stretch twenty hooves long!" Sweetie trotted around the mares, who seemed uncertain how to react to the story, "Their fur is midnight black, and their skin is pine green, so they can blend seamlessly into the surroundings. Their claws are sharper than dragon scales, but despite all these things, they prefer to strangle their victims until they pass out, then swallow them whole so they can feel themselves being digested by their acidic stomachs!"

"Where in the hay did'ya hear all that?" Applejack expressed in surprise as she pushed her hat back a bit to look at the filly as she circled them.

"I heard it! I heard it again!" Applebloom trembled as she said it, pushing harder against her sister's side. They all stopped for a second to discuss such a ridiculous story, and Applejack was the first to start.

"Hey now, that ain't nothin' but a load of—" Applejack was stopped mid sentence by the sound of a twig breaking behind them, from the bushed a few yards back.

Without warning Rainbow Dash screamed and jumped on her friend, shoving her off her feet and onto the soft mossy ground. Applejack was certainly afraid when she heard the crackling of a twig, but Rainbow's tackle was something she definitely wasn't expecting. She tried to catch the frantic pegasus, but utterly dumbfounded by the reaction she toppled right over. Rainbow Dash landed right on top of her friend, her head pressed right into the crook of her neck and her hooves wrapped entirely around her. Applejack struggled to pry her friend out of fear and off of herself, tugging at her hooves and squirming about. The two younger fillies grinned as they watched on, Sweetie Belle satisfied with their reaction to what she knew was simply Scootaloo's clumsy following. Rainbow Dash pulled back a bit and looked at the surprised Applejack between her hooves, pausing still for a moment.

"Now," Sweetie Belle whispered to herself, her voice so quiet and yet so shrill she felt like she was going to jump around in joy, "Kiss!" Her eyes lit up as she watched on, the two mares struggling against each other to get comfortable.

"Rainbow!" Applejack groaned as she tried to roll the pegasus off of her, feeling rather awkward with one of Rainbow's legs nestled right between hers. She bit back something of an enjoyable moan as the pegasus tried to move, her wings ruffling around and her legs adjusting themselves more correctly. "What're you—get off'a me!"

"We have to run!" Rainbow Dash said as her wings fully unfurled, a sight Applejack had never seen so close and from such an angle as that. She could even feel the wind move under them. Rainbow's arms slipped under Applejack's and her rear hooves found the ground, "Come on, kids!" She told the little fillies as her wings beat hard, tearing Applejack from the ground and carrying her backwards through the air. Applejack had to grab her hat to keep it on her head, and watched under Rainbow's rear hooves and behind her blowing tail as the two girls followed after them, hiding their smiles. Applejack glared up at the pegasus above her, who was clearly trying to hide some embarrassment from her fearful reaction. "I was expecting you to catch me!" She blamed the Earth pony below her, trying to shift the focus.

"I was expectin' you not to jump on me!" Applejack shouted back, though the volume was unnecessary at such a close vicinity. Rainbow looked like she was about to say something back, but before she could the tree line ended, and suddenly they were surrounded by bright, dry air. Rainbow Dash stopped suddenly looked around curiously, eyeing the large, beige rock formations that cracked all over the place. "Uh, Rainbow?" Applejack started, wriggling in her hooves, kicking her feet around as they were but an inch from the ground, "Rainbow, you can put me down now."

"Oh," Rainbow Dash noticed the stone beneath them and dropped her friend, who hit her rear hooves to the ground and then her front, kicking up dust with each step. "Where are we?"

"If I had to guess," Applejack watched the other two fillies come out into the open before turning around and inspecting the scenery, "I'd hafta say Ramblin' Rock Ridge."

"Do you think Scootaloo would have come this far?" Rainbow Dash asked, looking back at the filly's friends who knew her best. Rainbow Dash was hoping so, she was not interested in going back into the forest if she did not have to. Sweetie Belle appeared to be thinking before she decided to respond.

"I know that if I was Scootaloo, I'd do anything to get out of the Everfree forest." Sweetie Belle nodded surely, hoping it was the right way to move them along. Applebloom hurriedly shook her head up and down to signify her own concurrence.

"Then I guess it's settled," Rainbow Dash agreed as she turned back to face the new landscapes before her, "I just hope she got away from the Manticore and is calling the shots herself."

"I'm sure of it!" Applebloom beamed, and when the older two mares looked back in question, Sweetie Belle put her hoof to her face, annoyed by how transparent Applebloom might seem.

"All righty then," Applejack spoke slowly before turning to her multi-coloured friend, "Rainbow, you wanna fly on up a bit and take a look around? The girls and I will keep to the high ground, we sure as hay can see a lot more from up there."

"You don't have to ask me twice," Rainbow Dash ruffled her feathers a bit as she adjusted to the dryer, windier air. She turned and looked out first, hoping to catch some glimmer of the young filly, but found nothing. The wind blew her mane about, but she could not have cared less as she fully extended her wings and launched herself into the air.

"Let's go!" Sweetie Belle rushed forwards, raising a hoof and pointing out into the vast, desolate landscape before them.

Applejack nodded as she walked after her, having to hold her hat from blowing clean off her head. Applebloom took the moment to peer backwards and look for Scootaloo on their tail, and was able to see a small tuft of her fuchsia hair from behind a fern. She took that as good enough and hurried after her sister and friend, keeping them looking forward.

Rainbow Dash sped past them, her colourful trail a stark contrast to the land in drought, the crumbling and dying stones and the rare stems of famished foliage. It was quite a change from the Everfree forest, but then again so was Ponyville on the other side. Clearly no pegasi came around here to construct a storm, so the plants were left to drink whatever sprinkles came of their own volition. Even if there was rain, the hard and infertile rock beds around them lent little to any form of life that might have wanted to spread.

The fall of hooves on the hot, hard ground echoed through the expanse, mingling with the cooing of predatory birds and the slithering of snakes in and out of crevices unseen. Loose rocks shook about and were kicked with each step, the brown dust scattering and fleeing from such small hooves as these. Rainbow Dash flew over the grounded ponies once more, her wings fluttering a bit as she slowed towards them and landed just ahead, on the edge of some protruding ledge that looked rather weak.

"I didn't find anything." Rainbow grumbled angrily, knocking a pebble away from her hoof. She jumped back into the air and moved her hind legs away from the edge of the cliff, where a small chunk of the side crumbled and fell to the ground far below. "Man, and watch your hooves, this place is falling apart."

"Careful there, partner," Applejack chuckled as she and the girls passed her, watching her face contort into a scowl. Rainbow flapped her wings a few more times and landed beside Applejack, while Applebloom lagged a bit behind and looked over the edges cautiously, "That goes for you too, sugar cube. Lookin' down ain't gonna make you feel any safer." She told her sister gently.

"R-Right," Applebloom stuttered as she moved a little closer to the group, but was still fascinated by the very different scenery.

The group stayed on high ground, making certain to peer over edges as best they could without feeling dizzy. It was no trouble for Rainbow Dash of course, she was never afraid of heights. The cliff sides were not in the best shape to be walked upon, as usually little more than a tumble weed or stray critter bore down on the crumbling stone. The forest was but a line of trees now, seeming far less scary from such a distance. Sweetie Belle didn't seem that concerned either way, she was more interested in wondering where Scootaloo was following them from, or what the next step in her plan would be.

Scootaloo scampered across the rock rides in something of a sprint, hoping to keep up without being seen. She was on the next ride over, which was a wee bit higher, only fit for one pony to cross, and otherwise rather slopped. She had good balance and was careful with her positioning, her orange fur blending in rather well with the scenery. She made her way in front of them, slipping around the sloped rock and sliding to a stop, leaning her hooves over the crest and watching her friends carry out their devious idea of fun. Her eyes widened as she watched Applebloom walk dangerously close to an edge of rock that seemed otherwise unsupported, and she nearly screamed out when she saw the few small pebbles of stone fall from under her tapping hooves. She would have called out and waved, but Applejack seemed just as keen and cautious as she saw where her younger sister trod. The ground between the pair cracked and split a bit, but before much else Applejack was already in full gallop.

"Applebloom!" Applejack called as she rushed towards her little sister and bit her on the scruff of her little neck, earning a yelp from the filly. She picked her up by the loose skin and tossed her in the opposite direction with all her might, feeling the Earth between her hooves giving way.

Applebloom hit the ground hard and rolled a few more feet just past Sweetie Belle, slowly picking herself up despite the shock. She glanced back at her older sister immediately, and found that she was getting shorter and shorter, and farther and farther away. Or at least, that's how it seemed as the rocky cliff side fell apart from beneath her and she scampered about on the debris. Applebloom was speechless, watching her sister take a fall that was clearly intended for her. Without hesitation, Rainbow Dash's wings burst out around her, each feather spreading through the hot sunshine and grabbing hold of it. She took off just as quickly, the multi-coloured trail left behind chasing her up to the hoof.

"Hold onto your hat, cowmare!" Rainbow Dash shouted through her teeth, her front hooves extended their farthest and her wings carrying her at maximum speed.

She dropped down and dove towards the ground as the rocks fell around her, ignoring any potential injury and racing towards her slipping orange friend. Applejack's hooves fell off the rocks that were once under her, and her skittish movements became all the more frantic as she saw the long drop down and shouted in fright. With daring acrobatics, Rainbow Dash snatched her clean out of the air with her strong hooves around the mare's torso. Applejack blinked and felt her breath get snagged in her throat, looking admirably up at the heroic pegasus above her. She was jolted a bit to the side as Rainbow Dash swayed in one direction, catching a falling object in her teeth with a grin.

Rainbow chuckled a bit before she spoke, "I thought I told you to hold onto that, A.J.?" She murmured through the fabric of the brim of her hat, which was held tightly in Rainbow Dash's mouth.

"Shoot, Rainbow," Applejack couldn't help but let her gleaming smile shine out for everypony to see, graciously letting Rainbow Dash carry her back to solid ground. She left her hat press against her head again as Rainbow dropped it roughly back in place, "That was some fancy flyin'."

"Don't mention it, somepony's got to make sure you don't get yourself killed." Rainbow Dash grinned proudly as she returned her friend to her hooves and landed beside her, ruffling her feathers and puffing out her chest, "Really, what would you do without me?"

The crackling of the rocks finally went quiet, only the echoes continuing across the area. Such a loud noise was sure to attract the attention of any nearby predator, and predictably it did. Everypony went still and gave terrified expressions as they heard some loud noise from behind them, the beating of some large wings or something accompanied by a horrific roar. Applejack and Rainbow Dash looked at each other immediately, and both mares could see an identical expression of uncertainty and fear on the other's face. The younger fillies rushed to their sides and looked about wildly, their coats standing on end. The roar came again, and louder, and even Scootaloo, just one ridge away, froze with fear. She turned behind her as she saw the shadow loom over her tiny body, enveloping her without remorse. Rainbow Dash's voice was a little shaky, still troubled by the story that Sweetie Belle had told them in the forest.

"D-Did that monster chase us all the way from the f-forest?!" Rainbow's voice came out shaky and anticipatory, her ears pressing down against her head as her tail stuck somewhere near her legs. She only looked at Applejack, daring not to look behind her at where the sound originated.

"I reckon that don't sound like no monster, if I ain't mistaken, that sounds like a," Applejack paused to swallow hard, and the silence was filled by another beat of what sounded like enormous wings. They all looked back at once, though slowly, and caught sight of the great beast swooping down to the next ridge before taking off once more with a tremendous roar, "Dragon!"

The great, reddish-orange scaled dragon flew up from the next ridge, it's claws a deep black and it's mouth expressing a horrible display of smoke and fire. The little fillies hurried behind the older mares, shaking to their hooves. All at once, the group heard a shrill cry, and their eyes went wide as they spotted a struggling, pink-maned filly flailing about it the dragon's right claw. The two other crusaders were horrified at the sight, their hearts falling into their stomachs as they realized what true danger they had put everypony into.

The older mares cared not about the danger though, and both ran out towards the flying creature, though Rainbow Dash inevitably got closer as she carried herself on her wings. The dragon's wings blew one monstrous gust of wind down on them, the dust fleeing the scene in droves. Rainbow Dash bolted after the beast just as recklessly as she chased the falling Applejack not a moment ago, her eyes set on the screaming filly before her.

"I'm coming, Scootaloo!" Rainbow Dash yelled as she tried to get in close enough to free her, but time and again the claw was moved far away from her feeble attempts. She tried next to get close to the dragon's head, kicking rapidly at its chin and eyes. But such a sizeable creature paid no heed to the tiny pony that chased it, and swatted her through the air. She immediately flipped around in the sky and came back again, "You're not getting away that easy!"

Rainbow dodged the next two swipes at her, and zoomed around the dragon to try and get a better position to pry Scootaloo from its grasps. On the ground, Applejack chased the confrontation in a full gallop, her hooves smashing against the stone at a steady and speedy pace. The two other fillies tried to keep up, but with much smaller legs it was a goal that would go unachieved. The orange dragon flew up higher, brushing off the attacks with little effort. Rainbow Dash made one final assault, launching herself towards the creature at full speed, hooves extended out until her elbows locked. With a vicious swipe of its tail, the dragon smashed Rainbow Dash off course, knocking her into a downward spiral that she could not correctly fly her way out of. The ground and sky twirled around her in flashes, her limbs like useless twigs trembling in the breeze as she plummeted back down to the hungry rocks below.

"Rainbow Dash!" Scootaloo's voice could be heard crying out over the battle, getting smaller and weaker as the dragon carried her off.

The blue pegasus rushed to greet the Earth, meeting it first with a loud and horrible smash of her back against a sharp ridge. Her face contorted to scream, but no sound could possibly have escaped even if the wind had not been knocked from her lungs so entirely as it was with the collision. Her limp body slid down the cliff side the remaining few feet until she crumpled up in a heap at the bottom, her whole body shaking with futility and disbelief. She weakly opened one eye but a crack, and could already see the distance growing much too far for any counter assault she could manage, especially once she was robbed of mobility. She slid her rickety hoof across the dirt and tried to pull herself ahead, to gain back just that little expanse between her and the filly who needed her, but her strength fell short at last, and she folded onto the stone. Applejack had reached her side already, and just stood there staring out at the retreating dragon before she looked down at Rainbow, who could not even expand her wings to make a feeble attempt to follow.

"Oh, Rainbow," Applejack's heart sunk as she saw the mare struggle to move but an inch, her body failing her when she needed it most. This was just what she had trained it for, to provide protection to those in need and enable her to perform any feat of speed. All of that confidence was gone now though, as her head rocked a bit as she lay on her shoulder, her body contorted into an uncomfortable position. Applejack moved a bit closer but inspected her friend before trying to touch her, "Can you move?"

"What's it look like I'm trying to do?" Rainbow Dash growled angrily as she willed herself to her hooves, which faltered at every joint despite her overpowering desire to make chase. She went to unfurl her wings once more, so that she might not have to even use the rest of her useless body, but cried out in pain as her body was wrought with it. "Ah, damn it!" She cussed loudly without a care, folding her wing back in though it even hurt to do that. She could feel every muscle aching, and even the bones felt like something was off about them.

"Easy, easy now," Applejack consoled her, coming up close and trying to get a better look at the damage, "Lemme see it, sugar cube." She leaned over her friend and prodded gently with her hoof, moving the wing ever so gently. Such movements summoned grimaces and groans from the pegasus, as well as jerking and defensive batting with her weak hooves. "I'mma be straight with you honey, it ain't lookin' good."

"What are you doing here," Rainbow Dash grumbled as she shoved her concerned friend away, "Go after her already! We're losing her!"

"There ain't no way I could catch 'em, you know that!" Applejack tried to reason with her, as she pulled the protesting pegasus away from the stone wall with little effort. "Me without wings or nothin', and what would I do if I caught it? Listen, that there dragon didn't kill us when it had the chance, my gut tells me it ain't gonna just steal some filly away and eat her or somethin'. There are much bigger meals elsewhere, me or y'all for example." Her voice dipped into a hush as she laid the pegasus gingerly onto her stomach, letting her wings unfold almost naturally, "We'll go after it right after I make sure you're fit to move."

"I'm fine, A.J., it's just a scratch, I'm just shaken up or something." Rainbow argued as she saw the other two young fillies finally managing to catch up, their frightened faces echoing each other.

"This ain't no scratch," Applejack's tone scared Rainbow Dash, and she crooked her neck to look back at her equally uncertain expression, "Looks like you might'a broken a wing, and there's quite the gash. You're bleedin' something fierce. Applebloom, Sweetie, stay back!" Applejack called to them, and as commanded they stopped in their sprints several yards away, "You girls watch which way the dragon goes, I gotta, uh, make sure Rainbow is all right, y'hear?"

"You don't want them to see me like this?" Rainbow Dash murmured into her forelegs through her teeth, watching the girls nod and turn back to the skies, following now but a fraction of a shadow on the horizon. "Guess I can't blame you. I don't even want _you_ to see me like this."

"Hush, 'nough nonsense," Applejack bit open her satchel and pulled out some of the medical supplies she had brought along, hurriedly dabbing some of the blood away before the girls could notice, before beginning to wrap her wing up real tight, "I just don't want 'em any more worried than they already are," The southern twang in her voice seemed especially endearing whenever she spoke so kindly to anyone, and this time was no exception. Rainbow almost smiled as her words brushed over her blue coat and embraced her, "Y'all are somethin' of a hero to all of us, nopony wants to see a hero bleedin'. It ain't easy for me to see it neither, my best friend barely movin'? Shoot, you gave me quite the scare."

"Sorry about that," Rainbow Dash's voice was low and solemn, as she watched the other two fillies look out to where the dragon had long since disappeared. Applejack nuzzled her just behind the ear, a gesture that told Rainbow she was finished bandaging her up. She could feel the restraint on her wing, and shook a bit as she got back to her hooves, faking confidence and strength. Her eyebrows furrowed as she remembered the deep orange dragon, something she had not been expecting to see. And why not? It seemed rather far fetched to imagine one filly being abducted twice in two days. "So, tell me kids," Rainbow Dash flipped her mane and glared at the two girls who shrunk beneath her gaze, "How exactly did a Manticore become a dragon?"

"Uh, funny story," Applebloom began to fess up, rubbing the back of her head with her hoof. Clearly, the time for playing around was over.


	5. Over a Shiver

A/N: Wow, sorry for the late update, have been working on several other projects and blah blah blah excuses. Anyway, here is is, complete with another new song.

* * *

5. Over A Shiver

Travelling North was a thankful change in direction, though it had not been any consented choice. No, it had been the dragon who had selected the route this time, no meddlesome fillies or tracks in the mud. Still, hooves were tired and sore, bodies were aching and dragging along, and as the sky began to darken, they unanimously decided it would be best to find somewhere to rest. It was what was best for Rainbow Dash anyway, Applejack hadn't had an opportunity to fully inspect the injury she had suffered yet, nor had she cleaned the wound adequately.

They had crossed the train tracks already, and the day had dragged on long enough that even the sky was getting drowsy. Applebloom and Sweetie Belle were confined to the camp site they had staked out, but Applejack had dragged Rainbow Dash to the bank of a nearby river. From their location, they could already see Foal Mountain just beyond a small woods, the last landmark they had seen the dragon approach. Stars began to lean out from behind the glare of the usual sun, and the moon, in but a sliver, hung nonchalantly over the horizon.

Beneath the beautiful sky that she loved so dearly, Rainbow Dash found herself unable to look up, and instead stared at the reflection of it all in the water beside her. She shifted on her haunches as Applejack fondled the bandages as delicately as she could, finally undoing the loosest of ties. It began unravelling, but Rainbow Dash had other things on her mind than a silly wound.

"I can't believe this was all just some game," Rainbow Dash muttered to her hooves, shuffling them around irritably as the blonde mare took care of the rest, "Just to have an adventure, those kids put each other right in harm's way."

"If I r'member right, we weren't much different." Applejack replied with a smile, finding the whole scenario somewhat nostalgic. Even to this day they embarked on all kinds of dangerous adventures, and not always did they seem to have a good reason.

"You don't sound all that bothered by this, Applejack. I mean those fillies dragged us all the way out here, tricked us into thinking Scootaloo was in danger, and then actually got her kidnapped by a dragon. This is serious stuff!" Rainbow Dash snapped, growling the words as they emerged.

"I know that, but it ain't gonna do nopony no good punishin' them kids right now when we got more important things on our minds. I gave 'em a stern talkin' to already, but they'll get the rest of their dues after we get Scootaloo back." The farm pony calmly explained, letting out a slow sigh.

"Still, it seems like they weren't telling us everything." Rainbow argued, furrowing her brow as if to think of what it could be. Of course, the Crusaders had left the true matchmaking motive out of the explanation. Rainbow twitched as the last wrap of bandages peeled off her sensitive wings and made a sickly sticking noise.

"Relax Rainbow, havin' you tense up like that ain't helpin' your wing." Applejack tried to tell her, and though the sight of such a damaged wing might have made another pony ill, Applejack's expression went soft with empathy. She moved a little closer to the cool water of the stream and picked up a canteen in her mouth, leaning down, "I'mma wash the dirt n' dust outta it, the water's probably pretty cold."

"Don't let me stop you." Rainbow's voice was uncharacteristically stoic, but Applejack could pick out the hint of sorrow or guilt in there even so. Applejack removed the canteen from the water and could feel the cool liquid on her nose even as she brought it to the wing in question. Rainbow Dash fought the shudder and shiver that came with the cold water, biting back a surprised yelp as if she somehow deserved this trouble.

"You're beatin' yourself up about it, ain't cha?" Applejack dipped her hooves into the water to make certain they were entirely clean before she poured the last half of the canteen over Rainbow's wings. She gently brushed away any remaining dirt from between the matted feathers, "It ain't your fault y'know, you did what you could. Nothin' wrong with that. And don't start thinkin' it's over yet, we're gonna find her, 'kay?"

"Maybe if I was just a bit faster, or stronger, maybe," Rainbow's voice drifted off a bit as she closed her eyes and let Applejack clean her wing, the odd and unfamiliar sensation rather hypnotic. Applejack paused for a breath of a second before continuing on, hoping Rainbow hadn't noticed the hesitation. Applejack had not been expecting such a pitiful and sorrowful reaction from the pagasus, but it kind of made her chest tight to watch.

"Does it hurt?" Applejack managed to ask, careful with her voice so it would not betray the lie against her swelling interest.

"No," Was Rainbow's immediate reply, but as the last few drops of water slid down her sleek wings and fell between the two, she felt that she did not want to act so falsely tough, "A little."

Applejack's hooves moved from Rainbow's wings, as they had been mostly cleaned by now. She heard some sort of sensitivity in Rainbow's voice that was foreign to the rest of her personality, and attributed it to some inflated sense of guilt she must have felt. The pegasus pony in front of her leaned back slowly, her wings folding between them. She must have subconsciously desired some kind of support, and the pressing against her friend seemed like a viable option.

The orange mare behind her was not about to bring it up of course, she knew how sensitive Rainbow was about pride. Instead, she just wrapped her forelegs around the pegasus, pulling her just a little closer. She pressed her muzzle into the crook of Rainbow Dash's neck from behind, resting her head on her shoulder and allowing her to relax. No pony should have to feel the ache of some filly she cared for being torn away from her, Applejack knew that if it had been Applebloom who was kidnapped she would be in tears, or chasing after her until her hooves turned to dust.

Applejack felt nervous and anxious in the position despite her desire to comfort Rainbow, there was a sinking feeling in her stomach that felt like guilty pleasure, like she was taking advantage of the pegasus. She chewed at her lip a bit as she tried to force the feeling away, but feeling Rainbow shuffling a bit between her bent legs made her go crazy. Applebloom's earlier question had stuck with Applejack, even though she had already noticed the feelings herself beforehand. Now though, the desire was brought once again to the surface. She closed her eyes and breathed slowly, casting out the impure thoughts as best she could.

Rainbow Dash was shaking a bit in her arms, the seriousness of the situation seeming to dawn evermore on her conscience. Scootaloo was out there alone, and she could do nothing to help. Her feeling of futility sunk into her skin, and she just wished for something to take it away, if only for a moment. Applejack's embrace was warm and comforting, which would usually bring both parties to guffaw and make some joke, but right now they were both silent.

The scent on the blue pegasus' fur was cool, like a fresh mist or fog through autumn trees, like the first rain of summer, like the sun melting the snow on Hearth's Warming Eve. It was intoxicating, and Applejack only moved closer to the scent, feeling it fill her lungs entirely. Before she even noticed, her lips were against Rainbow Dash's neck, the same place she had consolingly rested her chin. At first it was just a simple touch between lips and body, but one of them let out an easy hum that told of contentment. Applejack moved her lips again, kissing more firmly and tellingly on the back of Rainbow's neck. A tender moment passed between the two without much of thought, and Rainbow leaned her head away to provide better access to the sensual and unacknowledged kissing. It seemed entirely friendly, entirely comforting and platonic, but there was a heat between their bodies and an urge to go on that defied such innocent contact.

Neither admitted anything aloud, neither even admitted to themselves that anything odd was happening. But whatever they were or weren't doing, it felt good. Rainbow Dash felt her heart speed up, and listening to her body she tried to turn, if only a little. She looked back and found Applejack's intense and attentive eyes focused only on her, unblinking and serious. Rainbow Dash moved again, turning to face the mare just as daringly as she ever was. Their lips were perfectly aligned now, mere inches keeping them apart, and the only thing that seemed to be missing from such a romantic scene was a little purple headed filly whispering something about imminent kissing.

Rainbow Dash could feel her good wing unfurl a bit as she adjusted her position, and Applejack's eyes went a bit wider as it lightly brushed against her stomach. She bit back the initial chuckle, but as the two moved ever more the feathery sensation became unbearable. Applejack burst out in a fit of tickled chuckles and knocked both of them off balance, sending them tumbling right into the river.

Rainbow Dash surfaced first and spat out what seemed to be a stomach full of river water, chocking a bit until the words came out, "What did you do that for?!"

"I'm sorry," Applejack shook her mane a bit and blinked as the water slid over her eyes, "It was an accident is all, that wing'a yours tickled me somethin' fierce!"

"Speaking of which," Rainbow Dash turned over in the water to try and get a look at the wounded wing, which still curled in and appeared to be in pain, "I guess it's pretty clean now."

"Yeah, so's the rest of you." Applejack snickered a bit until Rainbow Dash huffed a laugh of her own. Neither was about to speak up about the moment before, too afraid of what might come as a reply. So instead, the pair trod water a bit and looked towards the mountains.

Rainbow's face fell a bit as she flipped over onto her back, floating around with her wings submerged. Applejack followed her lead, watching Rainbow's moonlit expression grow more sullen. Still but a sliver swaying in the reflection of the water, the moon's white light was an ambient glow that held near to Rainbow Dash, as though gently rocking her to on the breezy waves. The river was rather still at this bend, eaten wide by time and deeper than a pony's tail to nose. Their bodies drifted slowly across the surface of the water, shifting them around each other gradually. Once or twice the silence was hushed by the sound of a hoof kicking through the water to adjust their swimming, but little else was said for a long few seconds as they let the moment slip away.

"I never got to teach her how to fly," Rainbow's voice fractured the air with a shaky tone, most of the sound absorbed into the water from her submerged throat. Applejack watched her carefully as she got her confession out, "She's a pegasus, and I was going to teach her to fly. Her eyes, like, sparkled and stuff when she looked up at the clouds. I could tell from the way she looked at me, A.J., she wanted to fly just like me. She would have loved the sky."

"I outta break your good wing for talkin' like that," Applejack growled lowly, though she did not sound nearly as angry as she could have. She kicked herself a little closer to Rainbow Dash to get a better look at her expression, "Nopony said she's gone just yet. There's still time for all'a that."

"The kid was snatched by a dragon," Rainbow Dash pulled her front hooves out of the water and stretched them out in front of her, expanding her arms in opposite directions to display some perception of the creature's size, "A _dragon_!"

"Maybe I was wrong when I thought you were the type not to give up so darn easy," Applejack muttered as she swam a little further away, letting the words soak in a bit as Rainbow Dash made a face. "Come on sugar cube, we best be gettin' outta the water. Gotta get some rest."

"Kay," Was a less than enthusiastic response as Rainbow Dash watched Applejack swim to shore and shake her coat out from mane to tail. She flipped around again in the water and slowly trudged after her, dipping her muzzle under the water to silence her grumbling. She pulled herself out of the water easily, but went to unfurl her wings and cringed again. She groaned as the full realization hit her, and she glared at the farmer before her, "I can't even dry myself off like usual, since I can't fly. Now I'm going to be damp all night."

"Ah, quit your belly achin'," Applejack smirked as she approached the pegasus, putting her hooves onto Rainbow's back. She gently moved them across her spine, pressing down on the fur so she corralled the water in waves off her sleek coat. Rainbow Dash seemed to enjoy the sensation, and proceeded to squeeze the water out of her hair and tail. "Go shake out, and check on Applebloom and Sweetie Belle, would'ya? I bet they're feelin' awful guilty too."

"They should." Rainbow Dash grumbled, until she saw Applejack's hardened and scolding expression. Rainbow flipped her still wet mane and dragged her hooves back towards the girls a little ways away, "You coming or what?"

"Yeah, I'll be right there. Just need a minute is all." Applejack told her as she watched the pegasus return to the camp site, hardly looking back to question her oddly elusive behaviour.

"Whatever." Was all Rainbow managed, leaving the orange Earth pony alone for once.

Applejack found her staring as the blue mare disappeared into the darkness, her tail still drooping and dripping about. She bit at her lips mercilessly as she did, trying to hold herself back willingly from following close after. She may not have wanted to admit it to Rainbow Dash, but she was at least going to be honest with herself as best she could.

She sat her damp flanks on the grass and pressed a hoof to her face, utterly humiliated by what almost transpired. They were so close together, their bodies literally pressed up against each other, and the mere thought had her swallowing hard and resisting the creeping of a blush upon her freckled cheeks. She had no idea when these odd urges had started, and the more she thought about it the more she realized they seemed to always have been there, unacknowledged and unsatisfied. Applebloom had really tortured her by bringing it to the surface, and Applejack tried to shake the thoughts away with her head but they held firm.

She knew that Rainbow Dash loved her friends dearly, but not in any other way than a friendly sense. Was she so awful to want something more than that? Their group never trifled with or spoke of dating, besides Rarity perhaps. The rest of them had their own business and duties to perform, they did not have time for fantasy or romance. Besides, there was so much going on in Equestria that seemed to call their immediate attention, anything more than friendship seemed ridiculous and selfish.

Applejack sighed, feeling trapped and enclosed by the great spaces around her, the great loneliness. Anything was better than this feeling, even cold winters or storms or what have you. She would gladly face any thunders or prejudice if it meant not experiencing this terrible lonesome hollowness. She wanted nothing more than to tell Rainbow, and from the way she had reacted to their momentary lapse of judgement, she even thought for a second her feelings might be reciprocated, mutual. But she swallowed the truth again, though it pained her to do so.

The wind blew about and snagged on the wetness of her fur, giving her a nasty chill and an accompanying shiver. She moved a little further from the camp, hoping to speak the honest truth to no one but herself and the great spaces around her. She summoned the courage to speak, though it was quiet at first and directed to somepony who was not even present.

(Over a Shiver, lyrics by Ezrienel)

"This ain't easy, so listen close,

I'munna speak the best way I know how.

Words don't come easy, I suppose

I'm like a farm girl without her plough.

But if a fancy-speaker I just can't be,

Maybe you'll still like me just for me.

So let this wind come take me away,

If I can't say what I wanna say,

I welcome the rain, and the snow too,

They can't be worse than a life without you.

Come the storms, come the thunder,

Come the ice, come and freeze my fur.

Come the drought or the famine,

Come contempt in the eyes of my kin.

Come the storms, come the thunder.

I'd never take loneliness over a shiver.

I wanna tell you, I really wanna.

I just wish that I was stronger.

The monochromatic melodrama

ain't quite enough any longer.

Rainbows are the reason I'm here.

I'd hate to see them disappear.

If dragons are all I have to face,

Then I ain't got no time to waste.

I welcome the danger, I'll see it through,

It can't be worse than a life without you.

Come the storms, come the thunder,

Come the ice, come and freeze my fur.

Come the drought or the famine,

Come contempt in the eyes of my kin.

Come the storms, come the thunder.

I'd never take loneliness over a shiver.

Come the fires, come the quakes of the Earth.

I'd never take loneliness over a shiver.

Come the storms, come the thunder.

I'd never take loneliness over a shiver."

Her voice drifted away on the wind, the words once spoken were lost forever and forgotten. Nopony had been there to hear them, nopony had written them down or known to recall them verbatim. No, just as Applejack had hoped, the words had disappeared without repercussion, falling on the ears of nopony. Nopony, save one.

Applebloom leaned against the tree a few paces from her sister, pressing her front two hooves against her mouth to hush any breath. Applebloom's eyes even began to water, suddenly coming to understand that what Sweetie Belle was trying to force could actually hurt somepony, and that it seemed entirely true. Sure, she had imagined maybe a little crush or something, but this was bewildering. She had not anticipated such emotion from her sister, the pony who was always strong, reliable and honest. And such emotion it was. Applejack was willing to take any punishment for the chance to not suffer alone any longer. Was she really that miserable, and told nopony?

Applebloom rolled onto all four hooves and hurried off, not wanting to hang around and potentially be caught. Her heart was racing into her ears, and her breath was unusually heavy. It seemed so unbelievable, not only that her sister felt this way, but that Applebloom herself never even known. She never asked her sister if she was lonely, in fact, they never discussed that sort of thing. Applebloom's brows dropped onto her eyes, she was determined to be a better little sister, to let nothing else slip past. They would find Scootaloo, that was their first mission. Then, they would make Applejack happy.

She skidded back into camp and fell into a slower step, hoping not to alert either Rainbow Dash or Sweetie Belle. Rainbow Dash was shivering a bit as she tried to dry off, and sweetie bell had been eating some weeds and flowers in a small patch just a short ways away. Applebloom hurried over to Sweetie Belle, who gave her a confused look upon her return. She had not even realized she left the camp.

"Sweetie, Sweetie I need to tell you somethin'!" Applebloom whispered in a low tone as she crept up beside her friend. Sweetie Belle just raised an eyebrow as she continued chewing on a flower or two. "Come'ere, and listen real close will you?"

Applebloom pushed her friend another few hooves away, glancing back over her shoulder as her sister trudged back to the group, her face clearly still as sunken as before. Rainbow Dash gave her some irritated or expectant gaze, ruffling her wings a bit. Applejack seemed to get the hint and went back to her saddle bag, pulling out another round of bandage from within. She went to the pegasus' side and began applying the bandage again, the wound still fresh and more visible than either pony would like. Applebloom let out a slow and steady breath and she began to speak.

"I think y'were right 'bout my sister," Applebloom muttered as she watched to see if her sister and Rainbow could heard any sound from the distance, but there was no tell of such a thing. She looked back at Sweetie Belle, who didn't seem the least bit surprised, "I mean, real right. Like, nail on the noggin, right."

"Did you talk to her about it or something?" Sweetie Belle inquired, perking up at the news. Applebloom shushed her and made facial gestures pointing to the pair a little ways behind them.

"Not exactly, but from what I can tell this ain't no little crush, y'see?" Applebloom looked back, watching the way the Applejack tenderly wrapped her injured friend's appendage, cradling each feather delicately, "This is really eatin' my sister up. And I wanna see her happy."

"Then we'll make her happy," Sweetie Belle shook Applebloom, trying to cheer her up, though she still looked nervous or uneasy, "I am not out of ideas just yet, and who knows? Maybe this crisis plan will work out in their favour," They looked over at the older mares again, as they finished up bandaging and must have been speaking about something, "If not in Scootaloo's."

"Do y'think she's okay?" Applebloom asked eagerly then, her worry apparent.

"I don't know. I probably wouldn't be," Sweetie Belle swallowed her fear and tried to keep talking, "But Scootaloo is tough, isn't she?"

That question would go unanswered, as the two young fillies merely looked at each other and wondered if that was enough.


End file.
